affirmations for self love: I change the inner narrative about who I am and what's possible for me
My intention is to change the inner narrative that I have about some aspects of my life and then to witness the transformation, new opportunities, and new love that ensue. Let me give you a recent example.
I live in a small, old house with an attic room. Over the years, it became the room where we put everything we didn’t know where else to put. It became a guest room, an office, the repository of unused things. It became cluttered with hundreds of books, objects, and art supplies. Its myriad of nooks and crannies made a proper cleaning almost impossible. It became neglected, cluttered, dusty. I wanted to change it, but it seemed like a monumental job. There’s no way to get furniture in or out of this room unless with a crane over the deck, a huge effort and expense. It seemed like I didn’t have the strength, energy or courage to take this room on as I had so much more pressing things to do. I came to really dislike it. I felt claustrophobic and ill at ease in there and largely avoided it. I felt a sense of helplessness about it.
Then something happened a few months ago. Instead of only focusing on what I could see with my eyes, I started to imagine potential. I began to image a big bathtub in the room, one that would look out the French doors that give onto the deck and the view beyond. I imagined the joy of having a bath there. I imagined the room airy, light, orderly.
I changed my inner narrative about this room. When I started to put this new energy into it – there was still a story of dissatisfaction, but there emerged a new one too -- something incredible happened. Everything lined up easily and quickly for this room to transform. A crew of neighbors and friends came to our help to shlep the furniture out using whatever was at hand like ropes and ladders. The old furniture and objects we no longer used or loved found new homes. A big bathtub sits in it now just waiting for the plumber to install next week.
I go into this room now and I am relaxed, joyous, filled with energy and open to possibility. And this is exactly what I’m intending with my other old stories: give them a good uncluttering and tell myself new ones. What else is possible when I change the inner narrative?
Some stories I tell myself are tired and out of date with who I am now. My self-talk is frozen in time about certain people and situations. It hasn’t evolved. I tell myself the same inner words of lack, shame, regret, sadness, outrage, and anger that I have for decades in some cases.
I don’t see how this self talk can serve me. Because self-talk really is in my service. It is there to help me. My inner words create feelings and sensations in my body. The way I feel dictates my energy level and my frequency, and in large part the actions I take and the reality of my life.
That’s why I’m transforming my “worst” stories into some of my most beautiful. I want them out of my way so that I can be even more open to possibilities this year.
My self-talk:
I choose what I tell myself.
I decide the meaning my life has for me.
I change my inner narrative to reflect who I am becoming and where I want to go.
I am loved and worthy of this new inner story.