"I Am..."

From time to time I watch Pastor Joel Osteen and have read a number of his books. The one that spoke volumes to me and helped me to understand the power of my words and their intention was titled "The Power of I Am." In it, he talks about how the universe (God or whatever you call your higher power) will chase down whatever follows the statement "I am." He says that it whatever follows this statement will come looking for you. So if you only speak negatively about yourself and your life, those negative things will find you and you will see them constantly show up in your life. But if you change your negative self-talk, the messages you send into the world that are affirming and hopeful will find you and change your life in a positive way.

Looking over many moments in my life, I can trace how my words and feelings about myself and my life have been shaped. I used to say all the time that I was broke, fat, unloveable, unworthy, sad, tired, not good enough, struggling and the list goes on and on. And wouldn't you know it, those were the very things that showed up in my life.

Over the past few years I have tried changing the way I looked at myself and how I was viewing my life. I worked hard to replace "I am broke" with "my money is circulating" or "I am miserable" with "I am hopeful for my future." And wouldn't you know it...I began to feel better about myself. I could see a clearer path to my joy when my lens was adjusted. Because let's be honest, even when life knocks us down, we can still find something to laugh about, something to hold on to that helps us climb out of our misery.

This is one of the ways that JOY rises up to greet you. We often look to others to determine our own worth and we think that joy and fulfillment comes from something outside of ourselves. When we do this, we don't pay attention to the every day moments (even those that are challenging) with a grateful heart.

I encourage you to try this at home. In your journal (which I suggest you get if you don't

already have one) and start making a list of the things you believe about yourself and your life. Start each statement with "I am." After you create your list, I want you to go over it and see where you are speaking negativity into your life and rework those statements so that they come from an affirming and positive perspective. Even if you don't believe it yet, the practice of revising the language you use will eventually take hold and you will see life with fresh eyes.

With this newfound look at your life, you will begin to have more energy, more hope, more love for yourself and there's nothing better than that. From there, you can build a new you. Try it with your children or co-workers as well. Watch how others will follow your lead and help every aspect of your life create the circumstances where joy can flourish.

Here's several from my list:

I am: