“I Am”

I am is the most powerful phrase in the English language. What follows those words determine what thoughts we each have about ourselves. The words following can be derogatory, learning, hopeful, humble, egotistical, or some combination. The choice is ours. For those who are religious, the phrase I Am has special significance. Everything associated with that phrase should always be humble and uplifting and never derogatory. There is an old saying that Your thinking determines who you are. What is your most common sentence starting with I am? How does that sentence make you feel? I know I always have to be realistic. I have many areas in which I have the opportunity to grow. I might say I am learning something new. I am not yet a master of that, but I am working towards that goal. I am developing a plan to be where I want to be in a specified amount of time. We each must decide if we are as happy as we want to be where we are right now. If not, how can we obtain that state in a reasonable amount of time?

Use I Am carefully, You are becoming what you think you are. Use you internal power to be the person you want to be. We each are beings of far more potential than any of us will ever realize. We must be the person that we have the potential of being. Becoming the person we can be attracts the people with whom we want to share our lives. Do It! Do It Right! Do It Right Now!

I Am Changes with Your Stages of Life

How I am is completed will vary at different stages of life. Be comfortable with the stage at which you are located at this time in your life. To be our best, all stages need to be learning and growing stages. Stagnation leads to physical and spiritual death. In this life, none of us alive today will ever reach perfection. But to strive for perfection in areas of our lives is doable, so let us do that to become perfect in particular areas of our lives that are important to us. Remember that we are each a Child of God and God does not make junk. Romans 8:17 states And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. This is an amazing promise. It means that we must humbly respect ourselves and our potentials.

Not Yet Is Essential to Achieving your I Ams

I Am Not Yet leads to I Am, Have you ever wanted to do something and then set out to accomplish that task. It might be something that takes a day or something that takes a lifetime. It is good to have both goals. Often the one day to one week tasks lead to year-long accomplishments which lead to a lifetime of achievement. I am sure that we each can point to events in our life where we have said I am not yet and went to achieve that goal. It may be simple. I remember when my parents bought me a brand new bike and I had not ridden it. They offered to buy me training wheels. My reaction was I am not yet a bicycle rider and I do not want training wheels. Therefore, I borrowed a neighbor’s smaller bicycle and went down to the end of the street to practice riding all day. I fell down a lot. But by the end of the day I could ride a bicycle. I appreciate the power of I am not yet! Another time was coming from a FORTRAN on cards environment arriving at Indiana University for my Masters in Computer Science. On the first day of class (Monday), we were assigned 5 LISP programs to be turned in on Wednesday using a text editor on a computer and turned in using an electronic system. I did not even know how to save a file on the computer, let allone use a recursive language like LISP. My first thought was I am not yet a programmer of LISP programs on a terminal, but I will be by Wednesday. On Wednesday, I turned in the assignments and could say that I am a programmer of simple LISP programs on a terminal. As time progressed at IU, I eventually could say that I am a programmer of complex LISP programs. Notice that I never even mentioned terminals because after a few months that was just a given. We each have our I am not yetgoals that will lead to I am moments. May we each find joy in those moments and celebrate them both by ourselves and with good friends. As we celebrate our own triumphs, may we look to celebrate our friends’ triumphs also.

Conclusion

Life is full of opportunities. Sometimes those may be hidden in challenges, both minor and major. May we each recognize the opportunities that present themselves to us and achieve all of the I am moments that we desire. May each of our lives be filled with the joys that come from humble accomplishment.