I Am...

You might think that adding a word to the blank after "I am" - but once you get started, you'll find that putting your name in isn't enough. You'll start talking about your favorites: I am a soccer fan, I am a food fanatic, I am a sucker for sappy love stories. Then you'll start writing your autobiography: I am a city girl, and I have been so since childhood; I am a Sesame Street-raised child, I am the daughter of two very crazy parents. Then you'll start rambling on about your feelings: I am happy now, I am uncertain about the future, I am a stranger even to myself.

Here's what you should do for your journal entry today: make a list of the things that you believe yourself to be. Start every single sentence with "I am." The list can be as long (or as short) as you want it to be. For extra difficulty, try making all your lines rhyme.

If you can, do this "I am..." exercise every day. It can be refreshing to find out that you're still yourself, stress and all.