Taking centre stage in your life

Have you ever felt that the best version of you is just waiting in the wings for their cue to come on stage? I know I did. For a long time I held a very restricted view of what was possible for my life and I dismissed many long-held dreams that called from deep within. 

What stops us from going full throttle with our lives? What keeps us small and afraid? I know that I had a tape of limiting thoughts playing non-stop in my head every day.

I’m not good enough....
I have no support....
I’m stuck where I am....
I don’t have enough money....
I’ve no luck and on and on.....

You get my drift. I was in full self-sabotage mode without even knowing that I was. I believed there was little I could do about the reality of my life. At the time I knew nothing about the power of my thoughts. In short I lived like a victim and so I was stuck.

It took a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2016 for my attitude to finally change. I was hungry to live differently and find deeper meaning in my life. I knew life had to be about more than existing and struggling. I looked up great teachers and books that could help me. I meditated. I trained as a life coach. I searched out like-minded people with can-do attitudes to life. The light finally came on.

My life was a result of the thoughts I was thinking and consequently the choices I was making. It was me who was holding me back.

Self-belief was a major missing ingredient and only I could address it. Turning fifty in 2018 probably upped the ante. Whatever dreams or visions I had for my life, it was now or never time. I have the shock of breast cancer to thank for that reality check. I don’t think anything else could have given me the shot in the arm that I needed to finally make the choice to live as fully and honestly as possible. The life coaching training hammered home this message. I was introduced to the importance of our belief systems and their impact on our lives. Our beliefs are just thoughts that we think over and over. They are like the engine in a car. They either propel us forward or they hold us back. Beliefs shape our reality because we give energy to them and we act in accordance with them. We learnt about neuroplasticity and our ability to rewire our thinking.

Empowering beliefs are factual, realistic, positive and enabling. They support us reaching our potential. They enhance our experience of life. They come from the awareness that we are connected to a universal field of intelligence that knows no limits. They offer us a life that is full of possibility.

Limiting beliefs are old thinking. They are outdated software. They hold us back. There is no real evidence for them today. They come from referring to a past experience that has no relevance in our lives today. They are not compatible with who we are now. Limiting beliefs are usually borne out of fear and the ego’s desire to control. 

Developing a supportive belief system

 “If you don’t like where you are in life, then you must change your way of thinking.” Says best-selling author Nancy Levin.

1.  Think about the type of life you want. Become aware of the beliefs you are holding. For every belief ask yourself, – Is it useful? Is it serving me?
2. If not, then ask yourself. When did I choose to believe this? Where did this belief come from? Our beliefs are just opinions that come from referencing experiences we had in the past. If it was a bad one, like being criticized by a teacher or parent, then it is time to let it go. It is not true for your today.
3. Reference a positive experience and replace every old belief with an empowering belief. An engrained limiting belief like “I always fail” can be changed to “There is no such thing as failure.”
4. Neuroscience tells us that “nerve cells that fire together, wire together.” We are not hardwired to think the same thoughts forever. Create a list of positive self-talk statements that resonate with you. “My past does not equal my future.” “I am confident and capable.” Find examples to support your new beliefs. We all have had enough experiences to support almost any belief out there. If you are committed and act as if they are true, you will start to see the world from a more resourceful perspective.

The world needs you to believe in yourself

Now more than ever, our planet needs each of us to believe in ourselves and share our unique gifts with the world. No one has the same qualities and characteristics as you, despite what you might think. Only you can fulfill your specific mission on earth. We are all here for a reason even if we don’t clearly understand it just yet. I don’t see it as necessarily one big mission, but more a way of fully showing up as “me” every day. It might be listening to a friend who has a problem, bringing an open, loving energy to all interactions, doing work that is of service to others. Whatever it is, all you need to do is step centre stage and be uniquely you.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right." Henry Ford.

You get to choose. 

14th July 2020