Have you ever heard of a personal declaration statement?

It is a document that you write which states who you are and what kind of person you want to be.

It can be a great tool when overcoming challenges that leave you occasionally functioning out of your value system.

My personal declaration statement was a great tool to aid me in overcoming the challenges of an emotionally abusive marriage.

The more I learned how to deal with that trial, and the more I learned to love myself, the more I yearned to change how I lived to align with who I truly was inside and who I wanted to be.

I learned to do this through a document called the “I am the kind of woman who…” document.

(In the rare case a man is reading this, feel free to do “I am the kind of person who…” or “I am the kind of man who…”)

From here, the only thing to do is to dream.

What kind of woman are you?

Are you fun-loving? Sensitive? Active? Serious?

How would you ideally act in different situations?

What are your hobbies? Are they in line with what you want them to be?

Are you using your gifts and talents regularly? What about your self-care?

Is there something you should change in your self-care routine?

Are you living the tenants of your faith or religion?

In what other ways do you wish you were living differently?

In what ways are you being authentic and living the way you\’d like that you want to remember?

After a serious brainstorming session or two, begin to write them down. I’ll give you a few of mine as examples.

• I am the kind of woman who takes the kids hiking a couple of times a month.
• I am the kind of woman who takes deep breaths when I’m tempted to yell.
• I am the kind of woman who is okay leaving the house without makeup.
• I am the kind of woman who enjoys making other people laugh.

Write them all up pretty-like on a paper, and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Read one or two each time you pass it. In time, these reminders will guide you to be the person who you truly can become.

Have you ever made a personal declaration statement? How did it go? Need help getting started? Reach out to me on my contact page. I’d love to help!