I Am

Written by Kimberly Hall

Photo by Nik Shuliahin

In late 2020, I binge-watched the ten-episode series Lovecraft Country over a weekend. The show is inspired by a book of the same name, and its characters navigate secret societies, time travel, and magic while representing a heroic race of people. Though the whole show kept me captivated, one particular episode drew me deep into thought and reflection. 

In Episode 7, “I Am,” the character Hippolyta is investigating the death of her husband, George. Hippolyta, a great mathematician, is able to unlock the coordinates of an observatory that she hopes will give her information about her husband’s death. While traveling through space and time to find this observatory, she is pulled through a rift in the universe. On the other side of this rift, she finds herself in space prison. In the prison, a woman tells her to name herself. Hippolyta is a bit confused by this question until the lady asks her what she wants to be. Hippolyta first asks to be a dancer and is transported to Paris to dance with Josephine Baker. Next, she asks to be a warrior. Ultimately, she asks to talk with George, as his wife. Her journey through time has shown her how much she is capable of. She tells George, “By the time I met you, I’d already gotten so small. And I thought you knew how big I wanted to be, but you just stood by and let me shrink myself more for you.” 

I thought about this episode for days. 

As women, we are so often confined to specific roles within the home, in the workplace, and in society. We feel small from shrinking ourselves. We can shrink ourselves by sacrificing our happiness for others, by not feeling worthy, by trying to please others, by not setting boundaries . . . and the list can go on. 

This is why I love affirmations. The two words I am have so much power behind them. They give you unlimited power to create your reality. When Hippolyta was asked to name herself, she named herself sexy as a dancer and strong as a warrior. She named herself, and her I am was without limitations. 

What is your I am? It’s fine if you don’t know yet. If you need some inspiration, I hope the poem below speaks to you as much as it spoke to me. It was written by a dear friend to celebrate the founding of Sole Inspired.