“I AM”, the two most powerful words; for what you put after them shapes your REALITY.
Some time ago, when I was feeling in a slump I began to focus on everything wrong with my life. Not married, no kids, my businesses were struggling, the list went on and on. Sounds familiar? It’s human nature to complain. But have you noticed that it is much easier to focus on what you don’t have versus what you do have?
I so happen to be traveling during this time and in the airport gift shop came across a book entitled “The Power of I Am” by motivational speaker and pastor Joel Osteen. Now some of you may have heard of him already, but for those of you who have not he is an amazing man of God and inspires and helps strengthen the faith of millions of people through his books, seminars and church services that a telecasted worldwide.
For those of you that are not religious or not Christian, Joel Osteen is still a powerful source of inspiration that crosses all faiths and cultures. In his book, he hones in on how powerful words are and the principal of speaking what you say into existence. Understanding this principle and realizing everything that I said could come into existence whether good or bad really gave me pause. Then I thought how I could ensure that I only spoke positive things especially when mostly everything was going wrong? Pastor Osteen gives the advice that everything that comes through your mouth first starts as a thought. So the next time you open your mouth to complain pause and think about what you are saying first BEFORE you actually say it. “I’m single, I’m broke, I’m lonely, I’m depressed, I’m fat”. Sounds familiar? These are some common things that people say on a regular basis when they begin to complain about their life. If you are saying any of these things now in your life STOP immediately. If it’s too difficult for you to find something to say positive in the moment, as Pastor Osteen says “Be Positive or Be Quiet.” If not, years from now you will find yourself STILL single, broke, lonely, depressed and out of shape.
Which leads to my final piece of advice on how to speak positively. Sometimes even if in reality you don’t have that perfect relationship, have that perfect weight or perfect job, you should FAKE IT until you actually believe it. Osteen states that if you force yourself to speak positively enough eventually your mind, heart and eventually your actions and then ultimately the universe will line up and you can actually WILL these things into fruition. One of the examples in Osteen’s book is a women who was in a dead end job, just out of a relationship and feeling pretty down on herself. She decided to use her last paycheck and take a trip overseas. During her trip she noticed that during her outdoor excursions she was out of shape and could barely keep up. So the woman decided that on her next trip she wanted to be more healthier. Upon returning home she joined a gym, ran a marathon and ultimately lost more weight than she had anticipated. In a nutshell, the results of her healthier body all started with her thoughts on having positive aspirations for better health which turned into words which ultimately turned into actions. The women’s approved appearance even attracted her new boyfriend and gave her the confidence to start a new job. With ONE change of thought the women essentially changed her WHOLE life.
Now its your turn! To give you a jumpstart I have written some affirmations below that you should say every morning before starting your day.
I AM HAPPY
I AM HEALTHY
I AM WEALTHY
I AM LOVED
I AM WORTHY
I AM POSITIVE
I AM BLESSED
I AM GRATEFUL
I AM BEAUTIFUL
I AM CONFIDENT
I AM COURAGEOUS
I AM EXCITED ABOUT TODAY!
There are many more affirmations you can add to this list. But this is a great start! Just remember every day you speak your DREAMS (instead of your doubts), is a day closer they become a REALITY. Click here to purchase “The Power of I Am” by Joel Osteen on sale for $8 (retail price $26.00)!
XOXO:)
J. Carter