The “I Am” Practice: Directing Your Thoughts Upward

 “I am…”

Have you thought about how often you say those two short words?

Let’s be honest, you probably haven’t, but trust me, you say them more often than you think.

With a bit of applied mindfulness, these three letters have the ability to shift, transform, and move your thinking into a powerful new direction. What we think about grows, and a powerful “I Am” statement provides the proof of such.

Think about where your thoughts go when you say the words, “I Am.” I’ll wait…

You immediately turn toward action or emotion, right?

“I am going to workout.” Action.

“I am feeling great today.” Emotion.

“I am going to rest.” Action.

“I am at peace.” Emotion.

“I’m not feeling well today.” An emotion that leads to lower feeling action.

A steadfast “I am” practice cultivates a higher scale of emotions—joy, happiness, confidence, you get it, the good feeling stuff. Each good feeling thought directs your thoughts in an upward pattern or upstream, as some call it. I’m sure you’ve heard the word affirmation, too. For those not in the know, an affirmation is a positive statement. They can be automatic or a declaration made on purpose. In this sense, we are using an “I am” affirmation practice to help train the storyteller, A.K.A. the mind, into positive thinking and self-empowerment.

Imagine telling yourself affirmations such as “I am happy.” “I am joyful.” “I am worthy.” “I am fearless.” “I am a success.” “I am mindful.” “I am calm.” “I am ready.” “I am grounded.”

These statements are far more potent in the way they make us feel rather than their opposites, “I am unhappy.” “I am struggling to find joy.” “I am worthless.” “I am fearful.” “I am a failure.” “I am anxious.” “I am not ready.” “I am unstable.”

There are thousands upon thousands of words that can follow your “I am.” It’s up to you as to what you will choose, but there is the catch. What you affirm, you must believe. Back up. Read that again. Here, I’ll help you. What you declare, you must believe.

An encouraging string of words will never train a negative brain into positive beliefs. Again, when you reach for higher thought, higher experiences develop, but only if you validate the notion as truth. If you find yourself writing statements that do not feel authentic or truthful, move on to a thought that feels more grounded and true to you.

When opposites arise, outside of meditation and the “I am” practice, begin asking yourself why these particular statements feel uncomfortable. Remember, negative emotions are direct pointers to show us what needs to be addressed, cleaned up, and healed inward and within our experiences. Once you know, use the “I Am” practice to change the thought pattern.

Think of it this way: Mindfulness brings in awareness. Meditation fosters calm. The “I am” practice changes the validation process. When these three work in harmony, your mindset is forever changed. Be realistic, though. Negative thoughts will sneak in from time to time, but these three together teach you how to move on without the thoughts taking you down.

I personally use affirmations to start my morning ritual. I scribble five to ten “I am” statements daily. Sometimes I write the same words for weeks on end; other times, my journal is different from day-to-day. It honestly doesn’t matter, as long as it is truthful to you and no one else. Just like all other mindfulness habits, this is a place where judgment is not welcome. This is about meeting you and your strengths.

 Want to give it a try?

I thought so! Pick up your pen!

I encourage you to write out the first positive “I am” statement that come to mind. If others follow, write those down, too. Place your statement where you can see them throughout the day, and try taking mental breaks, one every hour or two, to read the affirmations. The act of writing something down activates the storyteller to engage in a higher level of thinking. With the written word, your brain prioritizes the thought as something it should focus on. It also allows the statement to settle within your memory, and therefore, is easier to access when needed.

It goes a step further. This practice shapes subconscious thought, too. The more thought and action you take around your “I am” practice, the more the mind will react with similar thinking. Who doesn’t want a constant stream of supportive, higher thought running through their storyteller? I hope you are beginning to see why inking those “I am” affirmations are so important!  

 Here’s a shortlist of my favorites to get you started:

I am enough.

I am free to live as the highest, most authentic, and best version of myself.

I am in charge of how I feel.

I am fulfilled.

I am unique.

I am in deep appreciation of everything that is currently in my life.

I am mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy.

I am confident.

I am excited to be in the unfolding of today.

As with any developing practice, you must show up. For thirty days, I encourage you to write two to three “I am” affirmations. Don’t overthink it and refuse to make it complicated. Don’t strive for perfection. Validate what is real; work on what is uncomfortable. The habits of negative storytelling you created so long ago will no longer serve you as you begin to thrive. It only takes commitment.

Speaking of commitment, this practice should take less than three to five minutes each day. Anything longer means you’re in the dreadful overthinking mode. You’ll be amazed at how what first may feel like a reach becomes a welcomed practice of ease. Feeding yourself good feeling thoughts, worthy feeling truths allows you to grow. Mindful growth is what life is all about!

Danielle A. Vann is a 19-time international award-winning author, a certified Life Coach with a specialty certification in Mindfulness, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, and a certified meditation coach. She is also the creator and content creator behind Get Your Life Together, Girl. To learn more, visit the bio page, and follow @Getyourlifetogethergirl on Instagram.