• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Amy Hoogervorst

Integrative Health and Wellness Coach

  • WHAT IS HEALTH COACHING?
  • ABOUT AMY
  • SERVICES
  • BLOG
    • FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY
    • MIND-BODY CONNECTION
    • MOVEMENT, EXERCISE AND REST
    • NUTRITION
    • PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
    • RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION
  • GET STARTED
    • SCHEDULE A FREE CALL
    • ACCESS FREE RESOURCES
    • VIEW ARCHIVED VIDEOS

Jan 26, 2019
MIND-BODY CONNECTION· SELF CARE

I Am: Two of the Most Powerful Words

I Am: two most powerful words

The sign caught my eye as I cruised down the hall in between meetings, and I stopped in my tracks. “I AM,” it read. “Two most powerful words, for what you put after them shapes your reality.”

The sentiment stayed with me. For several days, its declaration sank in further, as I considered how I described myself to others, what words I said to myself (self-talk), and how I viewed myself (self-identity).

I am … (fill in the blank.)

Approaching this task, we each can list our roles. We can say kind things, or berate ourselves – whether it’s true or not. And repeated over time, those initial thoughts can lead us to turn them into reality.

What Comes After the Two Most Powerful Words

But to use this even more to our advantage, particularly when we consider our holistic health, we can take it a step further. Try the following sentences:

I am a person who …

Or, I am the type of person who …

What do you put behind those words?

How about, “I am a person who chooses nourishing, healthy food, because I want to take better care of myself.” Or, “I am a person who moves my body every day, so I can age well and strong.” And “I am a person who finds healthy ways to manage my stress.”

When we think this way, even if we’ve only completed the action once or twice, our attitudes and habits come alongside us, and we keep taking action.

I recall first learning about loving the foods that loved me back – nutrient powerhouses that don’t create inflammation. And I learned about foods like industrially produced cooking oils (canola, vegetable oil) and fried foods that cause inflammation. So I decided first to stop eating French fries and other fried foods.

“You’re never going to eat another French fry?” a friend, incredulous, asked me during lunch. “Not today,” I replied.

Overnight, I became a person who doesn’t eat fried foods. And my actions continued to reflect that. So my identity – what came after those two most powerful words – changed.

I’ve experienced other “I am a person who” transformations through the years, from not exercising 10 years ago to being a person who moves my body intentionally (some may call it exercise) every day.

And 10 years ago, I would have said “I am a night owl” (and sleep deprived.) Today, I’m a person who works to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Also, I am a work in progress!

Your Two Most Powerful Words: An Exercise

So I invite you to take a moment to write down the answers to each of these questions, perhaps in a journal so you can track your answers over time:

  • I am … (fill in the blank with as many descriptors as you’d like.)
  • I am a person who … (fill in the blank with as many attributes as you want to cultivate.)
  • This month, I’m going to be someone who … (fill in the blank with where you’d like to start as you work to break down longer-range plans. Remember baby steps!)

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” says to build lasting habits, we need to create a new identity first and then prove it to ourselves. He calls these identity-based habits.

“In my experience, when you want to become better at something, proving your identity to yourself is far more important than getting amazing results,” Clear writes. “This is especially true at first.”

What will you put behind, “I am” this week?

Hi! I’m Amy Hoogervorst, an integrative health coach, and I’m glad you’re here! If you’d like more information, ideas, and inspiration for a healthier you, I invite you to subscribe to my Well Check email, delivered each weekend for free to your inbox.

Tweet
Share
Pin

Don’t Miss out

Join our newsletter to get all the latest!

Previous Post: « Reflecting on What I Learned in Fall 2018
Next Post: Practice Gratitude for and to Yourself »

Primary Sidebar

MEET AMY

Hi! I'm Amy Hoogervorst, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, integrative health coach, and creative entrepreneur offering grace and space for a healthier you. Read More…

Latest on the Blog

A Bredesen ReCODE coach helps people concerned about or living with cognitive decline implement lifestyle changes that are part of the Bredesen protocol. Colorful image depicts a brain with many synapses and activity

Recently I trained as a Bredesen ReCODE Coach, adding to my professional knowledge base and credentials as I look to help anyone concerned about their brain health. But my desire to prevent and reverse cognitive decline goes beyond a professional achievement. It’s deeply personal, too. About five years ago, someone close to me received a […]

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest on Instagram

Wait. Pause. Notice. Be still. That's the message Wait. Pause. Notice. Be still.

That's the message I got this afternoon, when I looked up and noticed I'd been sitting in my parked car in front of this bush for a full five minutes. And I hadn't seen it.

I was absorbed by something else. My mind elsewhere, making a list and checking it twice, so to speak. And when I looked up, the beauty of this holly took my breath away. The way the light was hitting the leaves and berries at that moment, I had to get out of my car and snap a pic.

Almost immediately, I felt my shoulders relax, my heart open, my mind clear, even if only for a moment.

'Tis the season. For the hustle and bustle. Life on the hamster wheel. Automatic pilot. The checking off of lists. But that doesn't have to be the only way.

What's helped you - wait, pause, notice, be still - lately?

#gratefulforapause #breathe #graceandspaceforahealthieryou 
#mindfulawareness #pause #nature #notice #lifepractice #spiritualpractice #bestill #integrativehealthcoach
Been a while since we've done this together ... Wo Been a while since we've done this together ... Women's Wellness Walk in the Woods, this Saturday morning - who's interested? Send me a DM if you're in central NC - Durham, Chapel Hill area - and would like to get outside this weekend and explore an area trail in a small group. Nothing strenuous, and nothing boring. 😁 

#graceandspaceforahealthieryou #integrativehealthcoach #letsgo #wellnesswalk #getoutside #autumninnc #chapelhill #durhamnc #durm #trailwalk #freshair #movement #physicalactivity
"There are steps we can all take now to prevent th "There are steps we can all take now to prevent the cognitive decline that experts have long believed unavoidable and irreversible."
-Dale Bredesen, M.D.

If you're a subscriber to my Well Check e-letter, in your inbox this morning, you'll see this quote and a way to learn a bit more about why I trained this year as a certified Bredesen ReCODE health coach (and what that means.)

To subscribe, visit the link in my bio or amyhoogervorst.com/subscribe; I'll be sharing more about brain health in upcoming emails and articles.

September is World Alzheimer's Month, and this past Wednesday marked World Alzheimer's Day -  making this the perfect time to share both this update and my professional and personal desire to help make Alzheimer's a rare disease.

#quotes #worldalzheimersmonth2022 #worldalzheimersday #lifestylechange #bredesenprotocol #brainhealth #cognition #thewellcheck #graceandspaceforahealthieryou #integrativehealthcoach #nutrition #exercise #sleep #stress #detox #braintraining #supplements
Before the autumnal equinox at 9:03 pm, I've been Before the autumnal equinox at 9:03 pm, I've been taking a look back at some of the beautiful moments of my summer, 2022. Here's a tiny, tiny sliver. There will never be another season quite like this one.

#summer2022 #pause #reflect #snapshots #noticethelittlethings #spiritualpractice #gratitude #graceandspaceforahealthieryou #stressrelief #integrativehealthcoach #mindbodysoul #attention #intention
Follow on Instagram

Tags

accountability anxiety best self books challenge choices coaching dreams exercise faith faith and sweat fitness friends goals grace and space for a healthier you habits health health coaching healthy eating healthy food healthy lifestyle holidays inflammation memories mindfulness mindset movement nutrition perseverance personal growth PhotoOrganize Me photos recipes resources rest self-care sleep social media stewardship stories stress sugar wellness what i learned Youngevity
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • DISCLOSURES
  • CONTACT
© 2023 Amy Hoogervorst - All Rights Reserved

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Amy Hoogervorst
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.