You are what you believe you are
Have you ever told yourself you’re stupid or fat or weak? Did it motivate you to make a change or did you feel more weak and worthless?
I have always struggled with feeling like an outsider and with feeling fat and stupid. I’d kick myself when I made a mistake. Berate myself for overeating as I binged out on a box of pasta. Wallow in pity when I was just too tired to motivate myself off the couch for a sweat session. And tell myself how worthless I was when I didn’t do well on a test, or if I wasn’t able to answer someone’s question about their injury.
When we constantly tell ourselves how wrong we are, our brain and body listens and we perpetuate more of the same. So what if we start flipping the switch? Instead of beating ourself up, what if we sit quietly and encourage ourself to learn from where we are? If we binge eat one moment, can we find out what triggered it, and give loving support to that instead of beating it up?
Today I watched a video on YouTube from an interview with Marlo Thomas and Tony Robbins that reminded me to help change the way I talk about myself. Instead of telling myself I’m fat and stupid, I need to stop and tell myself to erase that. I need to do something that reminds me that I am fit and active and that I have a very intelligent message to offer the world. Something that can change the script of what my belief system has told me. And then do it again, every day. Changing how we think about ourselves is not an easy task. Our belief systems are strong. Only when we consciously challenge that on a regular basis, can we actually change our beliefs. (The interview is worth a listen. Find the →Marlo Thomas’ interview with Tony Robbins ←here.)
You are who you believe you are. If you identify as fat, stupid, lazy, shy, quiet, unmotivated, depressed…indecisive, incompetent, impatient, hypocritical, scatterbrained, stubborn, jealous, antisocial, a workaholic…and more….then you will portray that. What if instead you took action to doing something that makes you feel sexy, conscientious, informed, humble, helpful, persistent, fearless, and gregarious? How would you look? What would that feel like? What one thing could you do today, to take action to show yourself that you have it in you to change your belief system?
I’m not saying it’s easy. Fear can freeze us in our tracks. It does take daily work to make a change both in how we feel and how we believe. Sometimes you’ll have to dig deep to hit that backspace button, write something new and take a leap of faith.
I believe it will be worth the process.
