Popeye - I Yam What I Yam

Popeye the sailor man made his debut in comic strips in 1929. Since his creation, Popeye has entertained audiences with his superhuman powers; powers attributed to eating spinach. The middle-aged, muscular sailor, who speaks with a speech impediment is widely known for proclaiming, "I yam what I yam." Translated to mean, "I am what I am."

The words that follow "I am" are a definitive statement of who you are. The words form a belief about who you are and what you're capable of. The words, whether spoken or unspoken define you. Negative statements following "I am" may be intended as a harmless evaluation of your present circumstances. However, the statements actually form a belief about who you are. We as humans do not like to be wrong. Hence, we are constantly look for ways to validate what we believe to be true. Your belief statements trigger behaviors that validate your beliefs. If you say or think to yourself, "I am fat." You define yourself as a fat person, believe you're destined to be fat and will continue to engage in behaviors that contributed to being overweight. If you say or think to yourself, "I am a failure," you define your life as a failure, believe that success is beyond your reach and continue to engage in behaviors that contribute to a lack of success in your life. If you say or think to yourself, "I'm stupid," you define yourself as a stupid person, believe that you're not capable of thinking intellectually and continue to engage in behaviors that thwart any form of intellectual development.

Today is the day to begin replacing any negative statements or thought about yourself with positive statement about who you want to become. Instead of saying "I am fat," say "I can be healthy." Instead of saying "I am a failure," say "I can be successful." Instead of saying "I'm stupid," say "I can learn anything." Repeating these positive statements will slowly transform these statements into beliefs. It is your beliefs that create your reality. Once you believe you can, you can.

Be careful with your "I am" statements. Since "I am" statements define who you are, "I am" statements should always be positive. "I am" statements are like a roadmap to a destination; a destination that you choose. If your life is full of negative statements, your life is destined to head in direction towards an unfulfilled and unhappy life. Now is the time to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive.

You have the power to create the type of person you want to be. Some people say "you are what you think." Other people have said, "As you think, so you are." Popeye eloquently put it as "I yam what I yam."

Have a TERRIFIC Thursday!

It's your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!
MJD