Do you know how powerful a role thoughts play in transforming your life?
Research from the National Science Foundation in 2005 revealed that around 80% of our thoughts are negative. Even more alarming is the fact that 95% of our thoughts are repeated from the day before. If you find that you are stuck in an endless cycle of negative thinking, there is a process you can use to break free from this pattern that I’m going to share with you in this article.
This process involves uncovering negative thoughts hidden in your subconscious mind, bringing them to the surface, and then replacing them with what I call “I Am” statements. The daily use of these powerful statements will help you steer clear of negative thoughts and move you towards the person you most desire to become.
Before I share the process, it’s important to understand that we all experience what Cognitive Behavioral Therapists have termed ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts). ANTs are negative thoughts you may be holding onto and that you are unaware of as they have embedded themselves into your subconscious mind. The good news is that once you uncover them, you can easily replace them with positive, empowering thoughts that uplift you towards a greater feeling of joy, abundance, and fulfillment in life.
To create your I Am statement, you’ll need to grab a pen and paper and follow these steps:
- Write down from top to bottom the numbers 1 through 10.
- Write the words I Am next each number.
- As you read each I Am statement, pay attention to the words that come into your mind and immediately write them down. It’s important to write down the first thought that comes into your mind following each I Am statement as quickly as possible. (If you find yourself thinking and changing the words before writing them down, you’re no longer tapping into your subconscious mind and have switched to using your conscious mind. Simply write the first thought that comes to mind after reading each I Am statement.)
- After completing the list, ask yourself if you like the words you’ve written. For any words you want to change, simply cross it out and write down another word(s) to replace it. The act of crossing it out tells your subconscious mind that you no longer desire to hold onto those ANTs and are replacing them with positive, empowering thoughts.
- Place your new list of I Am statements in an area that you will see every morning or in your smart phone and read it everyday.
- Each week, repeat steps 1 through 5 to see how your thoughts begin to gradually change from negative to positive.
Here is an example of a list that a person with negative thoughts could uncover using this exercise:
I Am Sad
I Am Tired
I Am Dumb
I Am Broke
I Am Depressed
I Am Lonely
I Am Neglected
I Am Worthless
I Am Afraid
I Am Ordinary
Here is how the list could be changed by crossing out the negative words on the list and writing down the opposite words to form a new “I Am“ statement:
I Am Sad Happy!
I Am Tired Always Energized!
I Am Dumb a Genius!
I Am Broke Wealthy!
I Am Depressed Cheerful!
I Am Lonely Surrounded by Friends & Family!
I Am Neglected Appreciated!
I Am Worthless Enough!
I Am Afraid Courageous!
I Am Ordinary Extraordinary!
You can also rewrite the list without the crossed out negative word, especially if you choose to keep the list in your smart phone.
Another way to use “I Am” statements are to state the type of person you are working towards achieving such as:
I Am a Real Estate Investor
I Am a Marketing Genius
I Am a Business Owner
I Am a Great Salesperson
It’s important to note that the statements you declare for yourself reflect some truth in your habits and behaviors. For example, simply stating “I Am a Millionaire” without taking any action to towards that goal becomes wishful thinking and will result in a meaningless statement. So, you must take consistent action to grow into the person you declare in your “I Am” statements.
It’s important to read your new list of I Am” statements everyday because transforming negative thoughts can take several months. The reason is because if your subconscious mind has held onto a negative thought about yourself for many years, it won’t release that easily. It requires dedicated, habitual practice to uproot and release it. In the same way that your body requires nutritious food and water, your mind requires daily positive reinforcement, so keep at it! Reading your “I Am” statements on a daily bases will eventually alter your subconscious thoughts from negative to positive. The more you practice, the better you will feel as you move towards creating the life you most desire.