Mindful Life Changes: Weekly Affirmations For Midlife

55. The Power of "I Am": Affirmations for Resilience and Empowerment in Midlife

• Valerie Mekki • Episode 55

Share episode

On this first anniversary of the Mindful Life Changes podcast, host Valerie Mekki delves into the power of our words. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the challenges and changes of midlife? Do doubts and negative self-talk hold you back from fully embracing this transformative phase? In this episode, Valerie shares her personal experiences and insights on navigating midlife with grace and resilience. Discover the power of "I Am" affirmations to cultivate self-love, confidence, and a positive mindset.


Tune in as she guides you through a mindfulness practice designed to help you overcome self-doubt, embrace change, and create a life filled with joy, purpose, and fulfillment. Whether you're facing career transitions, caring for aging parents, or simply seeking to find balance and inner peace, this episode offers valuable tools and inspiration for thriving in midlife.

Formerly known as the "Mindful Career Change Podcast," I decided to broaden our conversation to cover all life transitions, not just our careers.

Follow the show @mindfullifechanges and DM a question or comment about the life transitions you're going through too. I might answer your question in one of the episodes to help you and other midlifers navigate this everchanging and beautiful season of life.

OR

Connect with me on LinkedIn @valeriemekki

Speaker 1:

You'd think, as we age, life would become smoother and easier to navigate, but often it feels the exact opposite. The mounting responsibilities of raising kids or preparing for an empty nest, caring for aging parents, managing pressures at home and work, all while experiencing bodily changes, can make midlife feel like you've leveled up in the game of life, but with higher stakes and greater complexity. It's a phase that can be demanding and exhausting, requiring you to use all of your wisdom and experience you've gained thus far. In an earlier episode, episode 45, I coined this time as our rubber band era, a way to describe how we midlifers are pulled in every direction, yet possess the remarkable ability to stretch and endure and adapt. We've reached an age where we've accumulated expertise, enhanced by our wisdom and growing self-acceptance. Yet when faced with the inevitable challenges and changes of midlife, the voice inside may still whisper you can't do this, this is too much to handle, or imposter syndrome can creep in, casting shadows of doubt on your abilities and intelligence. This is where powerful affirmations, with I am, become crucial. They can help us combat self-doubt and silence our inner critics until we've cultivated the competence and confidence to overcome any obstacle. Let us use these affirmations to uplift us, not just get through the day or a particular situation, but to truly thrive through midlife, not just survive.

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to the Mindful Life Changes podcast, where we dive deep into the challenges and transformations shaping our lives, from shifts in our roles at home and work to the transitions we navigate physically and mentally as we gracefully age. I'm your host, valerie Mechie, a career change guide and mindfulness enthusiast. Today's episode marks the one-year anniversary of this podcast. It initially launched with the intention of creating affirmations for career changers. The same mindfulness practices that helped me navigate a career pivot when I turned 40.

Speaker 1:

Six months after launching this podcast, my world was turned upside down. I was actually turning 45 at the time and, although I was preparing to embrace the life of a soon-to-be empty nester, as my youngest was preparing to go to college, one of my parents experienced a significant decline in health. I quickly had to adapt and adjust my life flying back and forth monthly to support my aging parents life flying back and forth monthly to support my aging parents. The same mindfulness practices that I used in pivoting my career I now use daily as I navigate these new transitions and obstacles. It's why I changed the name of the podcast from the Mindful Career Change to Mindful Life Changes.

Speaker 1:

These trying times also made me realize the need for different affirmations. These trying times also made me realize the need for different affirmations, ones that reaffirm your strength, resilience and courage, also declaring your intention and commitment to overcome obstacles within yourself. Affirmations that start with I am are a powerful tool that can help drown out the negative self-talk or doubts that may arise when faced with an array of transitions and hurdles. Words are powerful. They can motivate and inspire you just as easily as they can discourage or undermine you. Facing challenges in midlife is inevitable, and it can make you susceptible to limiting beliefs, especially when stepping outside of your comfort zone, or cause you to detach yourself from your body as it fluctuates and changes with pre-monopausal. Hearing positive statements about yourself is just as essential as declaring them out loud. So, for today's mindfulness practice, I will start by reciting positive affirmations, followed by powerful I am statements. In this present moment, try your best to truly receive these words of affirmation that recognize your inherent strength, resilience and and unwavering spirit.

Speaker 1:

Before I begin, let's take a cleansing breath in and out, letting go of any negative energy or thoughts that do not serve you One more time. Take a cleansing breath in and out. You are resilient, bouncing back from setbacks, gaining strength and wisdom with each misstep or failure. You are strong, even when it feels like there are more challenges to deal with. These days, you are capable. With your determination and courage, you've become a fierce being. You are wise, drawing on experience and intuition to guide your way, to guide your way. You are evolving and reinventing yourself, embracing new chapters with enthusiasm. You are beautiful and radiant, your inner loving space for growth, for you and your family. You are imperfect, and that makes you perfectly human and humble. You are worthy of rest, care and moments just for yourself. You are enough, exactly as you are.

Speaker 1:

I will now share a series of empowering. I am affirmations that declare your confidence, wisdom and bravery. As I recite each one, repeat it out loud to yourself, allowing the words to resonate deeply within you. So let's begin. I am strong and capable, embracing my inner power. I am resilient and adaptable, navigating life's transition with grace. I am worthy of love and respect from both myself and others. I am embracing my body and will not let the changes diminish its beauty. I am cultivating inner peace and letting go of anything that no longer serves me. I am open to new experiences and opportunities for growth. I am confident in my abilities and trust my intuition and trust my intuition. I am radiant and beautiful inside and out. I am open to new opportunities and possibilities. I am creating a life with joy, purpose and fulfillment.

Speaker 1:

Now visualize one of these statements and repeat it out loud to yourself again. Imagine yourself living out the statement in action in full color. I'll give you a moment to visualize this. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes, if you had them closed, and, if it feels comfortable to you, place your hand over your heart to help seal in this affirmation. Practice with self-love and care. These affirmations are yours to recite and practice for 21 days, at least once a day. They are most effective before you go to bed at night or in the morning, before you start your day. There is no better way to develop a healthy habit than to setting yourself up for success. Subscribe to this podcast and bookmark this episode so you'll have it handy whenever you need a quick guide to these affirmations. To deepen your affirmation practice, consider making your affirmations sticky. This is an acronym helped to craft more sustainable and effective affirmations. Refer back to episode one for more on this method. Write down the affirmation that resonates with you or one that you want to embrace, and write it down on a sticky note, place it on your bathroom mirror or laptop as a daily reminder of your commitment to yourself. Or transform it into a mantra and repeat it out loud or silently, to yourself while doing yoga, working out, or try reciting it in front of a mirror to make a further and deeper connection.

Speaker 1:

Earlier, I briefly described the phase of our lives as being stretched in all different directions. I'm calling this midlife phase as our rubber band era. If you are curious to learn more about this and what it means, check out episode 40 for the full explanation. I'll include the link in the show notes. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend who may need some time to recognize their own strength and fearlessness, or show your appreciation by giving us a rating wherever you're listening. Your support will help other midlifers discover our content, allowing this podcast to grow and flourish.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for sharing this time and space with me and if you've been with me from the beginning, thank you. My deepest gratitude to you. I hope the content has helped you as much as it has helped me tap into my creativity, deepen my mindfulness practices and has been my guiding light as I navigate my own path of midlife. And so let me remind you every moment you dedicate of being mindful is a step towards a more fulfilled and vibrant life. Keep embracing your midlife journey with an open heart and remember you're not alone in this. I look forward to our next mindful gathering. I'll talk to you soon.