
"The Words That Follow I AM Follow You."
03/17/25 • 12 min
In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, explores the fourth pillar of self-confidence: I AM. While belief (I CAN), action (I WILL), and commitment (I MUST) create momentum, true confidence becomes effortless when your identity aligns with your actions.
Deanna dives deep into how the words we use to define ourselves shape our reality. If you’ve ever struggled with making progress only to fall back into old habits, it’s not because you weren’t strong enough—it’s because your identity is still tied to the past. To sustain lasting change, you must shift who you believe you are.
What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why identity is the missing piece of lasting confidence.
• How your old identity can hold you back, even when you take action.
• Why belief alone isn’t enough—your brain needs proof.
• How to use the power of YET to reshape self-doubt.
• A 5-step challenge to rewrite your I AM statements and back them with proof.
• Why your proof, not just your words, shapes your self-image.
Memorable Quotes:
• "The words that follow I AM follow you. Choose carefully how you describe yourself." — Rock Thomas
• "We don’t act according to what we want. We act according to who we believe we are."
• "If you’re still seeing yourself as the old version of you, you will always return to that version."
• "Confidence isn’t built through words alone. It’s built through proof."
• "If you say I AM strong, but you skip your workouts every time you feel tired, your brain won’t believe you."
• "Your past does not define you—your proof does."
• "YET is the bridge between where you are and where you’re going. But YET only works if you follow it with action."
• "When you commit to owning your I AMs, back them with action, and refuse to let your past identity pull you back, you don’t just change your words—you shift your entire reality."
This episode challenges listeners to rewrite their I AM statements, back them with proof, and fully step into the identity that aligns with their goals. Because when your words, beliefs, and actions match who you want to be, confidence is no longer something you chase—it’s who you are.
Your WORDS MATTER because YOU MATTER.
❤️❤️❤️
Text Deanna! She'd love to hear from you!
❤️❤️❤️
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Follow Deanna on social media for frequent insights and inspiration, and share your favorite takeaways from this episode on social media. Tag her! She’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Subscribe to the WORDS MATTER by Deanna Ley podcast so you never miss an episode at:
https://wordsmatterwithdeannaley.buzzsprout.com
For more inspiration, coaching, and tools to ignite your Possible, visit:
https://DeannaLey.com
For ladies who want to join Deanna's CORE4 Community, visit:
http://CORE4community.com
Ready to take the next step? Explore Deanna’s coaching programs and resources designed to help you RISE and IGNITE YOUR POSSIBLE at:
http://TheCatalyticCoach.com
Contact Deanna to have her speak to your group at:
https://DeannaLey.com/Contact
In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, explores the fourth pillar of self-confidence: I AM. While belief (I CAN), action (I WILL), and commitment (I MUST) create momentum, true confidence becomes effortless when your identity aligns with your actions.
Deanna dives deep into how the words we use to define ourselves shape our reality. If you’ve ever struggled with making progress only to fall back into old habits, it’s not because you weren’t strong enough—it’s because your identity is still tied to the past. To sustain lasting change, you must shift who you believe you are.
What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why identity is the missing piece of lasting confidence.
• How your old identity can hold you back, even when you take action.
• Why belief alone isn’t enough—your brain needs proof.
• How to use the power of YET to reshape self-doubt.
• A 5-step challenge to rewrite your I AM statements and back them with proof.
• Why your proof, not just your words, shapes your self-image.
Memorable Quotes:
• "The words that follow I AM follow you. Choose carefully how you describe yourself." — Rock Thomas
• "We don’t act according to what we want. We act according to who we believe we are."
• "If you’re still seeing yourself as the old version of you, you will always return to that version."
• "Confidence isn’t built through words alone. It’s built through proof."
• "If you say I AM strong, but you skip your workouts every time you feel tired, your brain won’t believe you."
• "Your past does not define you—your proof does."
• "YET is the bridge between where you are and where you’re going. But YET only works if you follow it with action."
• "When you commit to owning your I AMs, back them with action, and refuse to let your past identity pull you back, you don’t just change your words—you shift your entire reality."
This episode challenges listeners to rewrite their I AM statements, back them with proof, and fully step into the identity that aligns with their goals. Because when your words, beliefs, and actions match who you want to be, confidence is no longer something you chase—it’s who you are.
Your WORDS MATTER because YOU MATTER.
❤️❤️❤️
Text Deanna! She'd love to hear from you!
❤️❤️❤️
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Follow Deanna on social media for frequent insights and inspiration, and share your favorite takeaways from this episode on social media. Tag her! She’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Subscribe to the WORDS MATTER by Deanna Ley podcast so you never miss an episode at:
https://wordsmatterwithdeannaley.buzzsprout.com
For more inspiration, coaching, and tools to ignite your Possible, visit:
https://DeannaLey.com
For ladies who want to join Deanna's CORE4 Community, visit:
http://CORE4community.com
Ready to take the next step? Explore Deanna’s coaching programs and resources designed to help you RISE and IGNITE YOUR POSSIBLE at:
http://TheCatalyticCoach.com
Contact Deanna to have her speak to your group at:
https://DeannaLey.com/Contact
Previous Episode

"When Your WHY Is Big Enough, You Will Find Your How."
In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, explores the third pillar of self-confidence: I MUST. While belief (I CAN) and action (I WILL) are crucial, they are not enough on their own. To sustain confidence and commitment, your actions must be deeply rooted in a WHY that is unshakable.
Deanna shares a powerful personal story about the moment she realized that surface-level motivation wasn’t enough. She walks listeners through Dean Graziosi’s 7 Levels Deep WHY Exercise, revealing how digging deeper into your purpose transforms fleeting motivation into unstoppable drive.
What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why willpower and motivation aren’t enough to sustain lasting change.
• The difference between surface-level reasons and a deeply rooted WHY.
• How to use the 7 Levels Deep WHY Exercise to uncover what truly drives you.
• Why clarity of purpose eliminates doubt, excuses, and fear.
• How having a big enough WHY makes quitting not an option.
• The shift from "I SHOULD" to "I MUST"—and why it changes everything.
Memorable Quotes:
• "When your WHY is big enough, you will find your how." — Les Brown
• "A surface-level WHY will never be enough. You have to dig deep until you find the thing that will hold you steady when everything in you wants to quit."
• "Unlike willpower, your WHY doesn’t fade by the end of the day. Unlike motivation, your WHY doesn’t come and go."
• "I refuse to let my own patterns, my own choices, steal me away from the life I was meant to live."
• "I don’t just want to make it to 90. I WANT TO LIVE."
• "This life? We get ONE. One mind. One body. One soul. One life. And I refuse to waste it."
• "When your WHY is big enough, quitting is no longer an option."
• "Excuses lose their power. Fear loses its voice. Because you are no longer someone who just tries. You are someone who DOES."
This episode challenges listeners to go beyond "I want to be healthy" or "I want to be successful" and find the deeper WHY that makes success inevitable. Because when your WHY is powerful enough, you stop negotiating with your potential and start owning your path forward.
Your WORDS MATTER because YOU MATTER.
Take a watch of Dean Graziosi's video on the 7 Levels DEEP WHY her
Text Deanna! She'd love to hear from you!
❤️❤️❤️
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Follow Deanna on social media for frequent insights and inspiration, and share your favorite takeaways from this episode on social media. Tag her! She’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Subscribe to the WORDS MATTER by Deanna Ley podcast so you never miss an episode at:
https://wordsmatterwithdeannaley.buzzsprout.com
For more inspiration, coaching, and tools to ignite your Possible, visit:
https://DeannaLey.com
For ladies who want to join Deanna's CORE4 Community, visit:
http://CORE4community.com
Ready to take the next step? Explore Deanna’s coaching programs and resources designed to help you RISE and IGNITE YOUR POSSIBLE at:
http://TheCatalyticCoach.com
Contact Deanna to have her speak to your group at:
https://DeannaLey.com/Contact
Next Episode

"Confidence Comes From Not Always Being Right, But From Not Fearing To Be Wrong."
In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, wraps up her powerful six-part confidence series with the most transformational pillar of all—I DID. While confidence begins with belief (I CAN), moves into action (I WILL), deepens through purpose (I MUST), and aligns with identity (I AM), it’s ultimately sustained through one thing: proof.
Deanna invites listeners to stop minimizing their efforts and start honoring their progress. With personal insights and practical tools, she shows you how to use your past victories—not your perfection—as the foundation of lasting confidence. Because when fear and perfectionism try to derail you, your bank of I DID moments will remind you of everything you’ve already overcome.
What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why confidence isn’t built from perfection—it’s built from proof.
• How to stop brushing past your wins and start honoring your growth.
• What kinds of I DIDs are worth anchoring into—and which ones to leave behind.
• How perfectionism chips away at self-trust and how to interrupt that cycle.
• How to use Deanna’s ACE the Day method to reflect, reconnect, and reinforce confidence.
• Simple, practical ways to document your proof and build unstoppable momentum.
Memorable Quotes:
• "Confidence comes from not always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong." — Peter T. McIntyre
• "Confidence doesn’t live in perfection. It lives in courage."
• "Let your reflection be a mirror for your strength, not a scoreboard for your shame."
• "Every time you honored a boundary, told the truth, made a better choice—that is your proof."
• "We don’t need a record of regret. We need a mirror that reflects our strength."
• "Perfectionism convinces you to ignore your own progress and question your enoughness."
• "Fear doesn’t get the final word. Your proof does."
• "ACE the Day is how you turn reflection into confidence, and confidence into momentum."
• "When perfectionism says, 'You didn’t do it right,' your I DIDs say, 'But I DID do it. And that matters.'"
• "Confidence doesn’t require perfection. It requires proof."
This episode challenges you to reflect on your growth, recognize your resilience, and anchor your confidence in what you’ve already don
Text Deanna! She'd love to hear from you!
❤️❤️❤️
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Follow Deanna on social media for frequent insights and inspiration, and share your favorite takeaways from this episode on social media. Tag her! She’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Subscribe to the WORDS MATTER by Deanna Ley podcast so you never miss an episode at:
https://wordsmatterwithdeannaley.buzzsprout.com
For more inspiration, coaching, and tools to ignite your Possible, visit:
https://DeannaLey.com
For ladies who want to join Deanna's CORE4 Community, visit:
http://CORE4community.com
Ready to take the next step? Explore Deanna’s coaching programs and resources designed to help you RISE and IGNITE YOUR POSSIBLE at:
http://TheCatalyticCoach.com
Contact Deanna to have her speak to your group at:
https://DeannaLey.com/Contact
WORDS MATTER with Deanna Ley - "The Words That Follow I AM Follow You."
Transcript
Well, hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of WORDS MATTER.
Over the last few weeks, we've been building a very strong foundation for self-confidence. We started with keeping promises to ourselves and how important that is. Then we moved to I CAN - believing in what's possible. From there, we talked about I WILL - because confidence isn’t just belief, it’s action. Then we talked about I MUST - because belief and action alone, well, they aren’t enough
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