You Are What You Think

How You See Yourself

No matter how often you used to look in the mirror before the pandemic, you've never looked at yourself this much! Since video conferencing has become de rigueur, working with others remotely brings you face to face with your own reflection for hours every day, day after day after day.

Seeing yourself on the screen is jarring, isn't it? You wonder, "Do I really look like that?"

And what about the sound of your voice? Do you remember the first time you heard your own voice on an audio clip? Like most people, you probably denied it was you. That's because you can't be objective about yourself.

What's also true is that our thoughts and beliefs are not objective either.

Thoughts and Beliefs

Hop on board and follow this train of thought with me. It will open new vistas where you will challenge your thoughts and beliefs - the beliefs that make you feel stuck in life.

Are you really stuck or do you just believe you’re stuck?

Your mind is very foxy. It tricks you into believing that just because you think something, it's true.

Not true! 

When you learn to question your thoughts and have enough audacity to confront your beliefs, you will discover a route to new possibilities. Possibilities you used to believe were impossibilities.

Your mind is always thinking. Most of us are often unaware of our automatic thoughts or how often these automatic thoughts pop into our mind. That's why the first step in challenging a thought/belief is to be alert and catch what you’re thinking in the moment.

Not always easy, but if you put your mind to it, it becomes easier.

Replace a Negative Thought with its Opposite

Once you've become aware of what you’re thinking, do this next.

Replace the negative thought with its opposite and give it, well, some thought.

Here’s an example: 

Instead of thinking, “My relationship with my spouse won't ever improve” think, “I can have the type of relationship I crave.”

Thinking the opposite gives you a chance at attaining it. Why? Because your mind believes what it thinks (that fox!).

Once you start believing something is possible then your mind has expanded, it is open (think open-minded here), and you will figure out how to make it happen. (If you can't figure it out on your own, ask for help. There's no shame in that.)

Challenging beliefs and changing automatic thoughts take practice and is work, but it’s one way to free yourself from the thoughts that hold you back.

Now that you’re free, you’re ready to explore more.

The Ultimate Benefit - Going Deeper

If you're the inquisitive type, and this is where it gets really interesting, ask yourself how the original negative belief made its way into your mind in the first place.

Instead of just looking at yourself all day long, start looking inside yourself. Great treasures await you there. It will transform your life!

Now, that’s something you can believe.