This week the Focus of the Week in the Women Living Well After 50 Facebook Group has been Creating ‘I Am’ Statements to build self-confidence and self-esteem. We then used these statements as daily affirmations to reinforce positive energy and thought. This was a great exercise of self-awareness and acceptance. I wanted to share the process for those who aren’t in the Facebook Group. If you aren’t come join the Community!
7 days of ‘I AM’ Affirmations
Day 1 – ‘I AM’…… Fill in the blank
What negative thoughts have you been struggling with lately? What has that ‘mean girl’ in your mind been telling you? Today, on Day 1 of ‘I AM’ let’s all think of one thing to complete the sentence and make this your Affirmation for today. Write down your first affirmation and add to the list each day. Remember, YOU ARE UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL.
Day 2 – ‘I AM’…..Choose from the list
Select one description from this list and make it your ‘I AM’ statement for today. You now have two ‘I AM’ affirmations to build on. Share your choice in the comments below. 💕
Today I’m choosing ‘I AM Fearless’. I’m overcoming my fears and insecurity to achieve a life that is Well Lived.
Day 3 – ‘I AM’……Strong in Mind, Body and Spirit
To be a Woman Living Well we need to be Strong in these three areas, yet we sometimes underestimate our ability to be strong in any or all of these..Physical strength is important to maintain an active lifestyle and functional fitness as we age to be able to carry out our daily tasks such as carrying groceries, bending, lifting, walking up and down stairs. Our bodies need to be strong to support balance and prevent falls and injuries.Physical strength reduces the risk of chronic illness.Mental strength is important to cope with life’s curve balls. Stress, anxiety, self-doubt, even living in isolation during the last few months has tested our mental strength to carry on. We can learn to cope with life by
- recognising that we do have an inner strength we can draw on when we need it.
- asking for help when you need support and not looking at this as being a failure but rather a strength. It takes courage to reach out for help when we need it.
- taking time for self-care,meditation, balance in life and time out.
Spiritual strength is important to help us take time for reflection and self-awareness. Whether you follow a traditional religion or your own form of spirituality, this strength completes the circle of who you are.Find strength today by being active, taking time to reflect and confront issues that are testing you at the moment.
Day 4 – ‘I AM’…..ALIVE
Today our affirmation is I Am Alive! What makes you feel ALIVE! I’ve written my thoughts here and I’d love you to share your thoughts and ways you feel Alive in the comments below.This can mean so many things. I Am Alive because:
- I am physically alive and have woken to a new day
- I feel alive because I look after my body through exercise, eating well and ensuring I get enough sleep.
- I feel alive mentally through:
- exercise releases endorphins (happy hormones) which is why we feel alive after working out or going for a walk. Sure we are tired but there is an overarching feeling of being alive.
- keeping my mind challenged and active through learning.
- meditating and being mindful
- finding joyful moments in each day
- gratitude
- I feel alive spiritually through
- prayer or meditation
- becoming one with nature
- taking time to reflect on life
Day 5- ‘I AM’….Vulnerable
‘Vulnerability is the centre of difficult emotion. We also the birthplace of every positive emotion that we need in our lives.
Brene Brown
Many of us don’t want to put ourselves ‘out there’. We don’t like to drop our guard. We don’t want people to think we are weak. We don’t want to share ourselves for fear of being rejected. Being vulnerable is a way to show courage and strength. Willingness to show up and be seen even when there are no guarantees is a risk, but a risk worth taking.
Day 6 – ‘I AM’……Unique – Don’t compare yourself to others
UNIQUE : ‘BEING THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND;
UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE’
We live in a society where we are constantly bombarded with images of how we should look, what ‘the beautiful people’ are wearing, eating, doing. The pressure is on to be something we are not instead of promoting the unique qualities that we all have as individuals.
There is no one like you – you are unique and special – remember that!
Constantly striving to be something false robs us of our happiness. There will always be someone more beautiful, brighter, happier, or more successful than you – that is a fact of life. No one is perfect BUT WE ALL HAVE UNIQUE QUALITIES THAT MAKE US SPECIAL – THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE .Life isn’t a competition however we put so much pressure on ourselves trying to emulate someone who we think is ‘better’ than us that life passes us by.
Day 7 – ‘I AM’…Enough
For our final day I think it is fitting to choose I AM ENOUGH. We have six days of ‘I Am’ Affirmations that are positive and encourage us to recognise the wonderful women that we are. All of these affirmations put together add to to BEING ENOUGH.
Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to be someone we aren’t. We fall into the trap of comparison and lose our own identity. Being able to say ‘I AM ENOUGH’ is being a Woman who is Living Well. A Woman who is comfortable and accepting of who she is.
GIVE ME A YES! in the comments and say I AM ENOUGH! We now have 7 ‘I Am’ affirmations to take us through today and beyond. BE YOU!and LOVE WHO YOU ARE💕
26 Comments
Vulnerability is the one I struggle with the most. I know a reluctance to completely put myself out there holds me back, I know it, yet I have problems overcoming it. The daily reminders have been good ones Sue.
Hi, Sue – I agree with Jo. These daily reminders have been awesome. Vulneribility is also the one that I struggle with the most. Your examples here have been very helpful.
Hi Donna, I think Vulnerability would be top on many women’s (and men’s) lists. It is so hard to overcome the fear of exposing ourselves and our feelings because of the fear of rejection. The times I’ve shown my vulnerability, especially on the blog, has been well received and the comments have always been so supportive. Enjoy your week and your beautiful hikes, my friend. xx
“I AM…” That’s what the Lord says about Himself (one place is in Exodus 3:14). For sure, i am going to leave that alone…yikes!
I don’t know why, but your comment made me laugh….
I think it is a different Sue to me 🙂
Hi Sue, rewards never come without some degree of risk. The nay-sayers just wish they had your courage.
Hi Suzanne! It can sometimes be difficult to overcome the nay-sayers but you are right it usually comes from a place of knowing that they don’t have the courage to step out and take a risk.
It’s funny that I am enough is one of the hardest ones for people (women in particualar). Let’s hope we did better with our daughters…#Lifethisweek
I think that we have tried to instill confidence and self-belief in our daughters because we have learned from our own experience. Enjoy your week, Lydia. x
Hi Sue, This is a great exercise to start each day on a positive and confident note. Thank you for sharing your affirmation ideas and examples. Have a wonderful week! #lifethisweek
Hi Natalie, I think the members of the FB Group enjoyed the exercise as there was a lot of interaction and comment within the group. Enjoy your beautiful weather, Natalie and thanks for stopping by. x
Sue, The precious privilege to be alive is my number one reminder each morning. We all likely know loved ones who are no longer with us, passing away at a young age. I often wonder whether bloggers are more vulnerable because we put ourselves ‘out there’ more often. The “I am enough” is huge and I try to share this one with my daughters often. Thank you for a great post filled with many gems. xx
Hi Erica, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post and I was happy with the examples I chose for the Facebook Group to work on. Completing the journey was ‘I am Enough’ which many of us sometimes struggle with. Like you, I have tried to teach my daughter self-confidence and self-belief something that perhaps we didn’t have when we were their age. Enjoy your week, Erica and thanks for stopping by xx
Wow Sue! What a comprehensive post – and very inspiring too. I think we all need to remind ourselves of our uniqueness and value – refusing to compare, and being confident in who we are is definitely the key to contentment in Midlife.
Hi Leanne, yes it was a popular Focus for the Week in the Facebook group. As you say we all need to remind ourselves that we are unique and special in our own way. x
Thanks Sue for leading us through this important focus for the week. We often underestimate our value and your prompts each day have helped get this more into focus for me. I really liked the Day 7 graphic, it spoke to me in so many ways. Thank you so much for sharing this with us and helping us improve our self esteem this way. #lifethisweek
This series of affirmations is a wonderful process . For me the most empowering is I AM ENOUGH. We do not give ourselves credit for all our life successes. Indeed, when one looks back at triumphs it is then that we can move forward.
Hi Judith thank you so much for your comment and I’m pleased you enjoyed the series. I finished with I AM ENOUGH because it is the most important I think. Have a lovely day and thanks for visiting.
Love these Sue and the positive focus to start each day. I really need to think about adopting it but at least I started the week on the right foot. Of course it’s now Tuesday and I’m trying to deal with Centrelink…. ugh.
Hi Sue I’ve enjoyed following your daily affirmations. Enjoying the new direction of your blog.
Thanks so much Jennifer I’m finding it very motivating at the moment. x
Writing and speaking affirmations have always been difficult for me. I can’t comfortable, easily say I am… anything with complete confidence. It always feels like I am … pretty good. I am a pretty kind, kind of strong, sort of spiritual. I used to write an affirmation each morning but those were tough…even though no one saw them, it felt misleading or inaccurate for me to say I am…
Thank you for this post. For encouraging all of us to keep working on affirmations.
I can certainly feel and read your passion in this post Sue. You are indeed wanting everyone who shares this journey of life to find themselves and be well. I cannot ‘do’ affirmations without substance behind them, hence I have a different take to this . Not that any other way is wrong, it’s got to suit the person. I know for years I did the “I am…” and found myself wanting. You see, I am such a believer in whatever I find true so I search a little deeper for me. It’s certainly a work in progress for me, as I know you agree with too. That said, your work to help others is commendable.
Thank you so much for linking up for Life This Week. Next week, the optional prompt is “whatever you choose” because I am focussing on Head and Neck Cancer: 29/51 Your Choice. Mine is: World Head & Neck Cancer Day. 20.7.2020. Hope to see you there. Take care, Denyse.
Hi Denyse, I love that we all have different views and ways of approaching life. My purpose I feel is just to provide information and people can take what they want that will serve them and leave what doesn’t. Take care and enjoy your week and thanks for linking up to #MLSTL. x
Sue, I’ve written out a full page “I am” statement that I regularly read. It was part of shifting my self-limiting beliefs. I wrote the empowering beliefs that I wanted to be true, the strengths I have, the vision I want my life to be. It was not easy writing many of the statements… in the present tense, without wishy washy qualifying words. It’s helped me move forward in believing I am enough!