The words you place after “I AM” may be influencing far more than you realise.

Think about how often you use these two simple words throughout your day. I am tired. I am stressed. I am always busy. I’m not good with money. I’m just not that kind of person.

These statements can become so familiar that we rarely consider what we’re actually saying about ourselves.

Yet the words I AM are incredibly powerful because what follows them reflects the identity we’ve accepted as our own. Over time, these ideas become part of our self-image, influencing the way we think, feel, make decisions and behave.

This week, I want to share a foundational concept from Neville Goddard’s book The Power of Awareness, beginning with Chapter One, appropriately titled I AM.

I AM is where it begins

Neville Goddard teaches that at the centre of our being is consciousness itself, the awareness that I AM.

Before we define ourselves by our name, occupation, financial position or circumstances, there is simply the awareness of being.

Neville writes: “I AM is a feeling of permanent awareness.”

I love this teaching because it reminds us that we are not limited to the person we’ve come to believe ourselves to be.

You may be a successful business owner, a parent, a leader or someone who has achieved extraordinary things. These are all expressions of who you are, but they are not the entirety of what you’re capable of becoming.

Throughout our lives, we develop ideas about ourselves through our upbringing, environment, experiences and the stories we’ve repeatedly told ourselves.

You might believe you have to work incredibly hard to make money, that you’re naturally impatient, or that you’re good at building a business but not very good at stepping away from it.

These beliefs become part of your self-image, and you tend to think and behave in ways that are consistent with them.

Familiar doesn’t necessarily mean true, and it certainly doesn’t mean permanent.

One of the most important ideas in Neville’s teaching is that we can deliberately change our concept of ourselves rather than continuing to define ourselves by our present circumstances.

Be conscious of what follows I AM

Here’s a simple example I share in the video.

There’s a difference between saying I am tired and I am experiencing feelings of tiredness.

The first statement identifies you with the condition, while the second acknowledges what you’re experiencing without making it your identity.

You can be tired without defining yourself as a tired person. You can experience financial pressure without defining yourself as someone who always struggles financially, and you can have a challenging week in business without deciding you’re incapable of achieving your goal.

This isn’t about denying reality or pretending circumstances don’t exist. It’s about recognising that your present experience and your permanent identity are not the same thing.

When you understand that distinction, you become more conscious of the language you use and the ideas you continue to reinforce about yourself.

Become the person capable of achieving the goal

In Chapter Three of The Power of Awareness, Neville explores what he calls the power of assumption. His teaching is that transformation begins by changing your concept of yourself and assuming the feeling of already being the person you desire to become.

This connects beautifully with what I teach about self-image and goal achievement.

Most people set a goal and immediately begin looking for the actions they need to take, but I encourage you to consider the self-image from which that action is coming.

When you begin to see yourself as the person who has already achieved your goal, you start considering different possibilities, making different decisions and behaving in ways that are consistent with that identity.

For example, if your goal is to build a business that generates significantly greater revenue while giving you more freedom, begin developing the self-image of someone who already operates at that level.

Consider how that person leads, the decisions they make, the standards they maintain and the way they use their time.

The goal is no longer simply something you’re trying to achieve, you’re deliberately becoming the person capable of achieving it.

As your concept of yourself changes, so too can the quality of the actions you take and the results you create.

A practical exercise: Rewrite your I AM statements

I’d love you to take some time this week to explore this for yourself.

Find a quiet place, take out a blank sheet of paper and begin writing your own I AM statements.

In the video, I explain how you can begin with your inner nature, recognising the qualities and potential within you, before moving towards how those qualities express themselves in everyday life.

You might begin with I AM awareness. I AM prosperity. I AM creative. I AM confident. I AM secure.

From there, consider the person you’re becoming in more practical terms. For example, “I AM a leader who makes clear, confident decisions. I AM someone who recognises opportunities and acts on them. I AM building a business that supports the life I want to live.”

As you write, slow down and connect with the meaning of each statement. Imagine what it would feel like to genuinely accept these ideas as true of yourself and how that would influence your decisions, behaviour and the opportunities you recognise.

The intention isn’t simply to repeat positive words. It’s to develop a new relationship with yourself and become familiar with an identity that supports the future you want to create.

Remember, repetition matters. Many of your existing beliefs have developed through years of repeated thinking and experience. Give yourself the opportunity to reinforce a different concept of who you are through consistent study, imagination and purposeful action.

Allow yourself to grow beyond your current results

Towards the end of Chapter One, Neville includes an excerpt from Oliver Wendell Holmes’ poem The Chambered Nautilus, which speaks about leaving behind the limitations of the past and continuing to grow.

I love the message in this passage because growth doesn’t require us to remain confined to the self-image we’ve developed through our past experiences.

Your current circumstances provide information about where you are today, but they don’t have to determine what you’re capable of creating tomorrow.

When you plant a seed, you don’t expect the flower to appear immediately. You nurture it, provide the right conditions and allow the process of growth to unfold.

It’s much the same when you’re changing your self-image. Continue studying, using your imagination, reinforcing the new concept of yourself and taking action that is consistent with the person you’re becoming.

I encourage you to become more conscious of the words you use to describe yourself, particularly those beginning with I AM. Notice where you may be defining yourself by temporary circumstances or limitations you’ve simply become accustomed to accepting.

You don’t have to wait for your circumstances to change before you begin changing the way you see yourself.

Watch the teaching: The Power of I AM

In this week’s video, I take you through Chapter One of Neville Goddard’s The Power of Awareness, exploring the meaning of I AM, its connection to consciousness and self-image, and how you can apply these ideas in your own life.

 

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