We all experience self-doubt, but it’s important to be mindful of the way we speak to ourselves through our thoughts. When life feels heavy or self-doubt starts to creep in, it’s easy to forget who we really are. Sometimes we can lose sight of our strengths and allow negative self-talk to take over our awareness, listening too much to that inner critic that focuses on our failings and insists we’re not enough, or not good enough.
This practice is intended to serve as a way of coming home to yourself and giving voice to your self-belief and self-love.
Instead of trying to create positive self-talk through affirmations that might feel hollow, use this practice as a method to reconnect with real experiences that reveal the kindness, courage, intelligence, and creativity that have always been within you. By remembering and inhabiting those moments, we can begin to speak to ourselves from truth, not from fear.
Preparation
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Let your body settle and your shoulders relax.
Take a few easy breaths and notice the natural rhythm of your breathing.
With each exhale, release a bit of tension.
With each inhale, allow yourself to arrive fully, right here.
1. Centering Awareness
Bring your attention to the sensations of breathing—the rise and fall of your chest, the flow of air, the steady support of the ground beneath you.
Let your thoughts slow down.
Silently affirm:
“I am here. I am whole in this moment.”
Let that simple truth sink in.
2. Recall a Positive Moment
Now, allow a memory to arise of a time when you felt good about yourself or your achievement.
It might have been an act of kindness, a creative success, a moment of integrity, or a quiet sense of peace when you felt aligned with life.
See the moment clearly. Notice the setting, the people, the details.
Let yourself step back into it and reinhabit your body as the person you were in that moment.
Feel what it was like to be there.
Notice how it feels in your body now to remember yourself at your best.
3. Recognize the Inner Qualities
Ask yourself gently:
“What qualities in me made this moment possible?”
Let the answers come naturally.
It might have been patience, courage, compassion, focus, or love.
Name each one quietly and take a slow breath after saying it.
You might whisper:
“I was kind.”
“I was strong.”
“I was true.”
Let these words resonate within you as a simple recognition of your truth.
4. Weaving the Thread
Let a few more memories drift forward—other times when these same strengths have appeared. Take your time with this and permit yourself to appreciate the moments they represent. Give yourself the gift of gratitude for the abilities and goodness you displayed in these moments.
See how these moments connect across time and form a pattern of positivity throughout your life. This is the enduring self that persists, even through change and difficulty.
5. Embodying the Inner Strength
Bring attention to your heart or the center of your body.
Imagine a warm light there, glowing with your own life energy.
With each breath, let that light spread throughout your body, filling your chest, your limbs, your face, until it’s radiating through your whole being.
This light is you, living from your best self.
Let an intention arise:
“May I live from my best self.”
“May my inner voice speak with kindness and truth.”
6. Closing Reflection
Rest for a few breaths in stillness.
Feel gratitude for the chance to remember your wholeness.
Then say quietly to yourself:
“I remember who I am.”
“I will speak to myself as I would to someone I love.”
When you’re ready, open your eyes and return to your day, carrying this calm recognition with you.
Integration
Afterward, take a moment to jot down what came up for you:
- What moment did you recall?
- What qualities did you recognize?
- How can you embody one of those qualities today?
Over time, this becomes a journal of your essential self that can serve as a guide for your inner voice, rooted in lived experience, grounded in kindness, and guided by truth.
