I AM.......But Are You?

I am not good at maths...I am not smart...I am not a good runner....I am not a people person....I am a procrastinator....I am always tired...I am JUST a teacher/parent/nurse...etc

I am not very good at....I am terrible at.....

I could write a book on the various words and statements I have told myself after those two very small words....and I bet you could too!

Do we even realise we are saying it? Nope!

It comes automatically and unconsciously and we don't ever question ourselves or what we say because we live in a society that tells us it's okay to say these things. 

We hear - "It's ok. Not everyone is good at everything. Just do what you can."

People underestimate the power of those two little words...

I AM

The reason that they are so powerful?

What we say after them, shapes our thoughts and our reality.

I often remind my kids (and my husband often reminds me also!):

Our brain is super clever. Whatever you tell it, it does! 

- If you say:

I am persistent or I am a problem solver or I am thoughtful....it takes on what we say because that is how our mind and body work and it works whether we say it out loud or think it in your head!

As a result....what we think we are, affects what we think we are capable of achieving or becoming.

The reality is though....we can be great at anything with consistent effort, focus and drive.  

I met an amazing woman earlier in the year and heard her story. Her name is Siri Lindley. She is a Triathlon World Champion and one of the worlds top Triathlete coaches. The AMAZING part of her story is...when she made a decision to take on a triathlon, she could not swim! She had to learn. 

She could have said - "I am a hopeless swimmer! What's the point?" or

"I am too busy" or "I am too old to learn how to swim" (she was 23 at the time)

But instead, turned her desire to doing into focus and determination and effort that led her to number one in the world in her sport!

I hear kids in my classroom use these words without conscious thought because as parents and teachers we have taught them that it's ok to do it (not on purpose of course...but unaware of the impact of the words) 

So a few weeks ago, my teaching partner and I decided to teach this to our kids with the specific intent of helping them to identify what they were saying and what they could change it to and see how that impacted their learning and interactions in the classroom! 

After some discussion about how your brain is kind of cool and listens to everything you say and how you, really are the only one it will listen to....we did some brainstorming with them. 

Here are a few examples of what the kids gave us: 

I am amazing. I am joyful. I am adventurous. I am respectful. I am responsible. I am creative. I am kind. I am brave. I am honest. I am courageous. I am strong. I am resilient. I am a problem solver. I am happy.

AMAZING, right? 

What was even MORE amazing....is that we started to hear it in their conversations and interactions and when they were learning! 

When one of my girls approached me a few days later, she said,

"Mrs Johnson, did you know that I am adventurous?!"  

I was so thrilled to hear her say but was even more amazing was - when I asked her what made her adventurous and why she thought that, she replied...

"Because 1. I like to go on lots of holidays and do new things (don't we all? I had a chuckle at this one!) and 2. I like to try new things and I am not afraid to try new things!"

And there it is! The stuff that makes me LOVE my job!

IMAGINE....if all of our kids developed this thinking in their early years and carried it with them into their teens and adulthood? 

Don't you think the world would be a different place?!

* How conscious are you about what YOU say to yourself (especially out loud in front of your kids)?

* Finish this sentence: I AM..... pick three words for yourself that you are going focus on each morning and throughout the day.

(feel free to share them in the comment section below!)

* Can you help your kids find one or two words to follow 'I AM...' this week and use it as a morning mantra? (Every morning :D and it works best if you add some movement or music in there as well! Always make it more fun!)

* Take note of how it changes how you feel and how it affects your kids!

I AM....so incredibly grateful to be able to share with you! I hope you have the most amazing week ever with your new powerful statements!

Until next week....have a conscious and mindful week!

Clarissa xo