I AM is the stories we tell ourselves and others about who we are. It’s owning who and what we are. It’s stepping into, leaning in, embracing.
Why do that?
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. – William Hutchinson Murray
Until we commit, we don’t give it our all. We allow ourselves to not fully engage, because after all, this isn’t really who we are. If we were really a writer/artist/speaker/business owner we would do it every day; we would invest in tools and training to get better; we would take chances.
You get what you focus on. It doesn’t matter what you call it: vibrations, quantum physics, paying attention, we have all experienced it. It’s that time we were thinking about <insert subject of interest here> and we found an article or ran into a friend who is an expert or came across a great podcast. It happens ALL THE TIME.
We lose out on all that Providence has to offer us.When we are not committed, we let those opportunities pass us by. We tell ourselves that we will do it when we are ready.
We not only do ourselves wrong, we deny the world our gifts when we don’t lean in and do our best work.
I AM is the antidote to the Imposter Syndrome. Fake it till you make it doesn’t do us justice. It implies that we are indeed an imposter. I’m telling you that when you decide to be and you take action, you are what you say you are, you are not pretending. When asked, Steven Pressfield (War of Art) says you are a writer when you say you are. Not when you sell your first (or tenth) piece. Not when someone else says you are, but when you say you are.
You may not be very good at it yet, but that’s just a matter of practice with the intent to improve. Ernest Hemingway lamented that both his best work was behind him and he had too much unrealized potential This despite a Nobel prize. We will never feel good enough so waiting until then won’t cut it. There is always more to learn, ways to be better at our craft and practice to make perfect.
What do you say when you say, “I am….”
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