Happy Spring!
I love Spring because it feels so invigorating to see many things springing to life right before my eyes. The trees and plants are flowering. The birds seem to be singing their joyful songs a little louder. Life appears to be in technicolor and all my senses just come alive.
I don’t know about you, but I get an energy charge from all this new life. Out with the old and in with the new. I feel a renewed sense of purpose and excitement about my life and determined to release whatever feels like its keeping me stagnant and preventing me from heading toward my dreams.
Oftentimes the things that are preventing me from moving forward with a spring in my step are limiting thoughts and beliefs that I have.
A belief is a thought that we tell ourselves over and over. It can be a belief that supports us in heading toward our dreams or one that keeps us stuck in an endless loop.
If you are feeling stuck and like you are not heading toward your dreams, I suggest you start paying attention to your thoughts. Are your thoughts positive and loving or are they fearful, negative, and judgmental?
Observe them for a couple of days without making yourself wrong for what you discover. What are the thoughts that you keep telling yourself over and over again?
I bet if you are feeling stuck in an endless loop, you will discover that your thoughts and beliefs don’t support you heading toward your dreams.
For example, you may want to lose 15 pounds because you know it will help you to feel better, have more energy, and improve your health. Yet, after paying attention to your thoughts, you discover that you tell yourself things like:
“Go ahead and have that brownie. You know you don’t have the willpower to lose 15 pounds anyway.”
“I’m too tired to exercise, I’m going to have a glass of wine and watch ‘American Idol’ instead.”
“I know I ‘should’ have the grilled chicken salad, but I’ve had a stressful day and I deserve the Fettuccine Alfredo.”
You get my drift.
Here’s the deal. Just because you have the sabotaging thought doesn’t mean you have to agree with what it tells you. When you discover one that doesn’t support you in heading toward your dreams, you can respond by saying:
“Thank you for sharing, but I do have the willpower to lose 15 pounds. Just watch me.”
“I am tired, but I’m going to make myself exercise for just 5 minutes and then if I want to stop, I will.” (I bet you $5 you don’t stop at 5 minutes AND you will find that exercising will give you energy.)
“I don’t want to add to my stressful day by sabotaging my desire to lose 15 pounds, so I’m going to have the salad.”
With practice you will start to become a good shepherd of your thoughts and will become skilled at recognizing the ones that don’t serve you in moving toward your dreams. Oftentimes when I’m having a limiting thought I will catch myself mid thought and say out loud, “CANCEL!” Then I immediately replace the thought with one that supports me in moving in the direction I want to go.
Hi Lyn,
Somewhere between Dublin and the Isle of Skye, I realized that my dream life wasn’t out there somewhere. I am eyeball deep into living it. I am exactly where I wanted to be 5 years ago, 10 years ago. If you’ve read my poem, “Can’t Die Mom,” in my book, there’s a list of things I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to see or do if I died. Damn girlfriend, I’m getting ready to make a new list because right after I got back from Ireland and meeting my new grandson, and being in Scotland, my youngest daughter announced her engagement. I’ve been wedding dress shopping with 3 of my 4 daughters and her engagement completes the circle. I have a house rented in Key West for 2 months in January – Feb 2017. I’m going back to the Grand Canyon in May 2017. Oh yeah. I’m living my dream life right now 🙂
I love that you are living your dream life right now, Peggy. That makes my heart so happy.
I love that you chose the word “dreams.” I’ve recently heard from a number of women who feel frustrated and sad because they haven’t figured out the DREAM… as if there’s only one. I’m fortunate to have realized many dreams and look forward to the ones that remain ahead. And, as you might know, I agree with you about finding a way to put those self-defeating thoughts to work to fuel those dreams rather than letting them stop us.
I am so happy for you that you’ve successfully achieved many of your dreams. I think having dreams and fulfilling them add so much to our journey of life.
I love your positive self-talk &use of the word “cancel.” You don’t let those sabotaging thoughts get to you. (Although Fettuccine Alfredo may have won out on me.) Thank you for giving your readers an inspiring way to reach their dreams & desires.
Thank you for your kind words, Tae. Sometimes Fettuccine Alfredo gets to win for me, too. 🙂