What Follows Your “I Am” Could Be Destroying Your Life

I am currently reading a book by Joel Osteen titled “The Power of I am,” and it got me thinking about my “I am’s” during the most difficult times in my life.

I specifically remember when my cellphone recycling business went under about six years ago.

Before then, I was riding on a permanent high in which everything I touched turned to gold, so I could see no failure in anything I did.

However, as time passed, my overconfidence got the best of me and I could not admit that my business was failing. I continued buying product using credit cards and every little penny that I had left thinking that I was going to turn things around.

At one point I had so much inventory, that I thought my way out was to spend an absurd amount of money on advertising in order to sell it.

Yes, my mind was all over the place and what was so strange about this situation is that even though I have always been a positive thinker, I couldn’t find any positives.

My “I am’s” were as follows:

• • I am a failure
  • I am in credit card debt
  • I am going to buy more product
  • I have no money in the bank (I am without money)
  • I am tired
  • I am wasting my time
  • I am unable to pay my bills

It took me a while to realize it, but I eventually realized that all of my “I am’s” were manifesting themselves.

And you know why?

Because I was saying them so much that they came looking for me.

So what was my solution?

I gave up on the business and started doing Uber, but no matter how much I drove people around, I was unable to make ends meet.

My “I am’s” were still in the gutter and so was my situation.

I was so caught up in this horrible situation that pushed away friends and family as if they were responsible for my failures.

It all came to head when I had an accident and had no way of repairing my car so bye-bye Uber.

So I came crying to my parents who were aware of my situation (not because I told them), but because they could feel it.

They covered my expenses for a month and during that time I looked deep within myself and made a complete 180 with my “I am’s.”

My am’s were as follows:

• • I am responsible for all of this
  • I am capable of getting out of this situation
  • I am awesome
  • I am a great person
  • I am going to start loving life again
  • I am going to have fun
  • I am going to start a new business

My situation didn’t change overnight, but my thoughts did.

Changing my “I am’s” gave me the strength to get up each day and do something that got me closer to where I wanted to be.

Eventually, I was back to being my positive self again and was even able to start a new business.

Today, I live a comfortable life and make enough money to do most of the things I like doing.

I still have ways to go, but I know that I am headed in the right direction because my “I am’s” are aligned with what I want from life.

How your “I am’s” could destroy your life?

Have you ever considered the power of “I am?”

What follows those two simple words determines what kind of life you live.

“I am blessed. I am good looking. I am healthy.” Or, “I am slow. I am unattractive. I am weird.” The “I am’s” that are coming out of your mouth will bring either success or failure.

If your “I am’s” are negative, you will be hard-pressed to find positivity in your life.

The same is true if your “I am’s” are positive. You will bring blessings into your life.

Pay attention to your thoughts and figure out your “I am’s”.

You will quickly notice that your “I am’s” are aligned with your current situation.

If you are broke, obese, in a bad relationship, etc. Your “I am’s” are probably on the negative end and nothing will change until you start changing your “I am’s.”

Saying and believing the wrong “I am’s” will keep you trapped in bad situations.

It’s time to make a change!

How to change your “I am’s”

Now that you understand the importance of your “I am’s” and how they could be destroying your life, let’s work on changing them.

There is no magic pill for changing your “I am’s” and much less for making these changes overnight.

You must train yourself just as if you were trying to learn a new language.

The more you practice it, the better you get. Until eventually you speak it without even thinking about it.

In order to change your “I am’s” you must first understand what they are.

So take a pen and paper with you throughout your day and write down each “I am” that comes to your head.

Analyze how closely aligned your “I am’s” are to your current situation in life.

Now, next to your negative “I am’s” write a positive one and every time that negative thought comes to mind, stop yourself and say the positive one.

Here is the process step-by-step:

1. 1. Write down all of your “I am’s.”
   2. Reframe all your negative ones: “I am broke” changes to “I am creating wealth.”
   3. Replace your negative “I am” thoughts, with the positive ones.

Reframing your thought process will bring the things you truly want into your life.

Don’t just think it, act on these thoughts as well.

For instance… if you change “I am always tired” to “I am full of energy,” then go out for a nice jog or something that makes you feel alive.

Taking action from the moment that you start reframing your “I am’s” will ensure that your new thoughts come to fruition quicker.

3 Benefits of your new “I am’s”

Below is a list of three things you can expect from your new “I am’s:”

1. Feel better about yourself

Negative thoughts will drown you of all your energy. Carrying them is like throwing a 200lb back of rice on your back and trying to climb up a hill.

Once you start reframing your negative “I am’s” you will start noticing a change in your body posture, energy level, and mood.

You will start feeling like you can achieve anything that you set your sights on.

You will start feeling so good, that other people’s opinions of you will start diminishing to the point where you’ll realize that the only opinion about yourself that truly matters is yours.

2. People will want to be around you

When you are feeling down all the time no one wants to be around you.

The opposite is true as well… when people see you in a good mood they will want to get some of that “secret sauce.”

Having positive “I am’s” will build your self-confidence up to the point where people will gravitate towards you without even realizing it.

3. You will have a better lifestyle

The moment you start reframing your negative thoughts, you will start noticing everything around you change for the better.

You will become the Steven Spielberg of your life.

In other words… you’ll be able to direct the movie of your life as you see fit.

Examples of people who changed their “I am’s”

Some of the articles below don’t use the words “I am” per se, but you will easily fill in the blank where needed.

T. R. Sebastien

After a lifetime of being a people pleaser and being unhappy with herself, she was able to turn things around and start loving herself again.

David Naidu

David was so sick and tired of being “sick and tired” that he used it to turn his life around.

Pat Walls

Pat was able to pay off a $65k debt in less than two years by visualizing what he wanted. He went from “I am” $65k in debt, to “I am” paying off my debt and have $10k in the bank.

This is a great read for those of you struggling with your finances.

Books to help change your mindset

I love self-help books.

I used to spend a lot of time reading them, but I am more of a listener now.

Up to you as to which you prefer but below is a list of books that can help you change your “I am.”

• • The Power of I Am
  • Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success
  • The Success Principles
  • The Strangest Secret (Youtube audio)
  • Think and Grow Rich (Youtube audio)

If you don’t have the money to buy these books, check your local library to see if they have them.

I probably only own 10% of the books I read thanks to the Broward County (Florida) library system.

They have a program in which you can check out books and listen/read them on your mobile device without having to actually go to the library.

Not sure if that exists everywhere, but it’s something to consider if you want to check them out before actually buying them.

Conclusion

Whatever comes after your “I am” will find you.

You can’t expect to be happy when all you think about is “I am miserable.”

Your “I am’s” can destroy your life, just as much as they can bring success into it.

The good thing is that with practice you can reframe your negative “I am’s” into positive ones.

You can control your “I am’s” and build whatever lifestyle you want.

It’s all up to you!

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Related blog posts:

• Lifestyle Change: 11 Steps On How To Start Loving Yourself
• 13 Things Every Self Help Book Will Tell You (Key Principles)

What are your “I am’s?” Let me know in the comments section below…