Every day, we think and speak in “I” statements.

“I am good.”
“I am bad.”
“I am excited.”
“I am stressed.”
And so on….

These I statements are profoundly influential to how we feel within and how we experience the world with-out as these statements effect our mindsets, emotions, and energetic vibrations.  Quite often, we think and speak in negative I statements such as:

“I am stressed.”
“I am tired.”
“I can’t do this.”
“I don’t have enough.”

When we repeatedly think and speak with these negative statements, we can trap ourselves in a negative mental and/or energetic state.  This may lead us to subconsciously and energetically attract or fall into more interactions, situations, and experiences that further promote the negativity we are enduring.  For example, if we find ourselves consistently thinking and speaking “I am tired,” our tiredness will remain at the forefront of our awareness and impact every aspect of our day. 

Luckily, with a little awareness, we can uplevel our inner and outer dialogue to be more positive and empowering in order to guide ourselves into better states of mind and energy.  We may adopt I statements such as:

“I am strong.”
“I am powerful.”
“I can.”
“I have what I need.”

When we utilize these more affirmative I statements both internally and externally, we expand into more uplifted mental and energetic states which may lead us to subconsciously and energetically attract more interactions, situations, and experiences that further promote this new found positivity.  For example, if we previously found ourselves thinking and speaking “I am tired”, we might then adopt statements like “I am strong,” or “I am capable.”

It’s important to note that choosing these positive I statements is not synonymous with denying, erasing, or hiding the negative or heavy emotions and sensations we are experiencing like exhaustion, stress, sadness, or fear.  It’s important to be honest with ourselves and others about our thoughts and feelings, and sometimes we will need to ask for help in navigating them.  

Simply, in this practice, we have to acknowledge our true, valid feelings first, then we shift the narrative, then we evolve our inner dialogue to be more positive in order to move forward.  Let’s look at a couple examples:

Example 1 – 
Negative Statement: “I am tired.”
Acknowledgement: “Yes, I am tired and I do need rest.”
Shift: “But I am strong enough to continue on until I can rest.”
Positive Statement: “I am strong enough.”
In this example, we are not denying our tiredness as in “No, I am not tired. I am strong. It’s fine!”  That would be lying to ourselves.  Instead, we acknowledge the tiredness, we identify the need for rest, but we find an empowering statement to keep moving forward until that rest can be taken.

Example 2 –
Negative Statement: “I can’t do this.”
Acknowledgement: “Right now, I feel like I can’t do this because it is hard/challenging/scary/etc.”
Shift: “Even though I feel like I can’t right now, I believe I can figure out how do this and get through this.”
Positive Statement: “I can.”
In this example, we take time to acknowledge why we are feeling incapable of overcoming the challenge/obstacle/problem/etc. We own the fact that it is causing us stress/overwhelm/doubt/fear.  Then we decide that even though it is hard and scary, we are capable of finding a way forward.  Through this process, new empowered inner dialogue is born. 

Example 3 –
Negative Statement: “I am stressed.”
Acknowledgement: “Yes, I am stressed because of _________.”
Shift: “But I am capable of overcoming this situation.”
Positive Statement: “I am capable.”
In this example, we own the fact that we are experiencing stress and we identify the source of that stress. From there, we view ourselves as capable of overcoming the stressful situation.

At once, I statements impact how we feel and the frequency we are putting out into the world to eventually receive back.  And so, mindfully working with I statements can be a very powerful practice to incorporate into your life. I have experienced immense growth and success in working with affirmative I  statements in my own life.  Additionally, I have taught yoga and meditation classes with an emphasis on I statements and have received positive feedback from my students about the practice.  

Here are the steps I follow when practicing and teaching positive I statements.

Step 1: Reflect & Identify

Take a moment of mindful reflection and contemplate the following –

What are the negative I statements that I often think and speak? These can be statements that have been coming up for you recently or ones that have been prominent for a long period of time.

Where are these negative I statements coming from? What am I feeling or experiencing that is making me think and speak in this way? Do I need to commit to any action steps to help address these feelings and/or experiences? 

What are the positive I statements that I would like to integrate in my life? What are the qualities and characteristics I want to embody?  What are the positive I statements that will serve me best?

Step 2: Practice

You can practice your I statements in a variety of ways –

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Everyday life

Now, it’s time to practice working with your I statements.

Seated Meditation –

1. Come to a comfortable seated or reclined position.
2. Clear your head of external thoughts and begin to focus on deepening your breath.
3. As you inhale, recite a positive I statement.
4. As you exhale, recite another positive I statement.
5. Continue to focus on the repetition of your I statements and your breath for 2-10 minutes.

Yoga –

1. Take a yoga class or do a yoga practice at home.
2. Move through the practice and focus on your breath.
3. As you inhale, recite a positive I statement.
4. As you exhale, recite another positive I statement,

Daily Life –

1. Write down your I statements-
   • Write them on post notes and place them where you will see them often. Write them once per day in your journal.
   • Type them in your phone and look at them every so often.
2. Speak your I statements-
   • Say them to yourself in the mirror when you are getting ready, say them before you go to sleep, say them when you need to hear them in challenging moments.
3. Recite your I statements silently-
   • Do this throughout your day as feels organic and beneficial to you.

I do not claim to be an expert or master in the art of changing energy and manifesting, but I have found practice with I statements to be powerful in my own life and hope that you may find this as well. At minimum, working with I statements will help you to feel more empowered and positive within. And perhaps it will spark change without and around. 

Listen to the podcast component to this article, Inner Dialogue Meditation, on the What’s the Pasta!? Podcast! Within the episode I guide you through a meditation centered on unleveling inner dialogue with “I” Statements.