Don't own it! - clubFYM post July 8, 08

If you don't want it, put it back. If it's not who you want to be, don't own it!

I can't remember when and where this phrase came about, but it has been a while now. As a young girl, my mom would hear us say something negative and counter it with the opposite. For example, if my sister was getting down on herself about not understanding something and call herself stupid, my mom would intercede and say "Oh NO hunny! You are smart! Don't let anyone tell you different!"

So I would begin to OWN the things I wanted. "I AM beautiful!" (that's my big time "OWN" statement) "I AM smart!" "I AM fit!" And everyone believed it as well. Not only was it believed, but I also lived it out. It became part of me and who I wanted to be.

Many times I catch those around me making statements about the things they want to change, but the way they speak of the things they want to change about themselves are "Own it" statements......'I will never get this',..... 'I am always messing things up',....... 'I am a failure', etc. And as my mom did for me and my sisters I have paid forward in the statement "Don't own it!" If you don't want to be that, then don't own it. It's not who you are or who you want to be. Own what you want to be.

"I am not lazy!" "I AM considerate!" "I AM humble!" "I am loving!" "I love myself!" "I have a great smile!" "People want to get to know me!" "I make a great friend!" "I really DO care about my health!" "I care about others and the influence I have on them!" "I won't poison myself!" "I am fun to be around!" "I am a leader!" "I ENJOY the life I live~!"

There are so many little things in who we are that we can apply this to, and as we keep owning the things we want, it only gets better and better.

I want my children to love who they are and be confident about the life they are living. The one way children learn the best is through the example of their parents. "I am setting positive examples for my children to model in their own lives!"

I had enough of beating myself up and have others do the same to me and around me......I had to BREAK that mold and step out with a new pair of shoes....made for walking forward and not kicking me when I was down. Let's be mindful to positively go after the change we want in our lives. Let's strut in these new shoes! "I AM a positive, radiant woman!" ....Just OWN it!