Otherwise, honestly, you will get nowhere. Not far, at least. You may get somewhere, but it will be awfully similar to where you are right now.
It’s that whole idea of doing the same thing over and over every day but expecting different results. We all know that’s insanity. But even before we scrutinize our actions of every day, we have to scrutinize our thoughts. Why? Because thoughts lead to action. Thoughts are what fills our brain, solidifies our beliefs, and what ultimately makes us put one foot in front of the other.
If we don’t believe that we are capable of achieving anything great, we never will. If we don’t believe we are capable of making even small things happen, like losing 10 pounds, or saving $1000, we won’t do it. Why would our body act in betrayal to what we believe about ourselves in our own consciousness? The body wouldn’t fight against us in that way. Our bodies, on the inside and out, take direction from our minds.
For years, I’ve held the fear that there is something wrong with me. Either physically, mentally, or just on the inside. There are reasons for this, of course. For one, my parents used heavy shame-based parenting growing up, frequently insinuating that there was something wrong with me if I didn’t subscribe to their belief systems. To the extent that I sometimes hear myself mimicking my dad’s favorite chastisement: “What is wrong with you?!” to my young children (gotta stop that). And there’s also my mother finding out a few years ago that she had stage 4 ovarian cancer living inside of her but had no idea until it was basically taking over her entire abdomen…of course it makes me worry that something terrible is going on inside of me that I haven’t discovered yet. But now I’m finally starting to realize that none of these events in my life, or the lives of others, mean that there may actually be anything wrong with me. I might actually be just perfect the way that I was created, different as can be from my mom or anyone else around me. And in the process of trying to somehow protect myself from these events by maintaining a constant level of fear of what is wrong with me, I may actually be manifesting illness inside of me just with my thoughts. My very fear could be my own demise. This is not what I want to do! The more I think about having “something wrong”…the more I might be creating a problem. Must. Stop. Now. What if I am already in a state of perfect health? What if my insides are untouchable by disease and degeneration? What if I have such a purpose on this earth that God, the God that I feel inside of me and that I see working on earth every day, is protecting every aspect of wellness that I hold just so I can carry out my mission? What if.
This sounds like a better philosophy to live by. Yes, I should make good choices to extend my health and well being as much as is in my power. But we all know those people who don’t do that, and who end up living long, productive lives. The ones who smoke for 50 years, like my grandmother, but lived to her 80s without ever getting lung cancer. She never let go of her 1920s belief that cigarette smoking was acceptable. Or other people I know, who have nourished themselves largely with processed carbohydrates, canned goods, no sunscreen, and rare glasses of water who somehow maintain their “healthy as a horse” status well into retirement. You hear older people say things like “I’ve been eating this my entire life, and it works for me.” When they’re referring to white toast, bacon, and fried food, you wonder how that can be true. But if their mind has convinced their body that it is in perfect health, and that there is nothing wrong with their approach…how can it not be true?
If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s possible that no one else will, and even worse, that your own body will give up on you. Why go that route, when you could just as easily choose to believe that you have infinite potential, limitless possibilities, perfect health, and are loved. Let go of the doubt, believe in your desires, and see where it takes you.