I’ve been noticing a theme lately.
Whenever that happens, I try to figure out the underlying reasoning behind that theme.
In this case, the theme is what our expectations and perceptions can do to us…
… or for us.
The perceptions and expectations I heard lately were about:
- pregnancy is hard and giving birth is excruciating
- smoking is the hardest thing to quit
- whatever negative beliefs I have, I am stuck with
- I can’t quit eating certain foods because then I’ll feel deprived and that never works
I can certainly understand how we slip into these kinds of perceptions and expectations.
But let’s just call them “beliefs.”
Because for each one of those beliefs, I have seen the total opposite to be true, too.
The moms I have the privilege to support before, during, and after pregnancy tell me how much they loved their pregnancy, how easy it was, how incredible the birth!
I’ve seen people quit smoking cold turkey.
Or people deciding to cut out foods that harmed them, and reversing a diabetes diagnosis, healing from cancer, and for me being Fibromyalgia free for a decade now.
There are so many examples for these wonderful, positive things.
The other day I heard a quote along the lines of if you make excuses for your limitations, you will always get to have them.
Meaning, whatever belief you have, you can always come up with reasons why it’s true.
True for you, at least.
But if we can agree that the opposite exists, too, one could argue that maybe we want to start creating reasons why that positive belief is true for us instead.
Why would changing your beliefs make a difference?
Because having a positive outlook, expecting the best, will make you aware that this even exists and will make you go for it. It will allow you to choose differently.
For instance, there used to be this mental block around being able to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. It was believed the human body can’t handle anything faster.
But as soon as the first person broke that record, suddenly more people broke it right after. Because suddenly, it was an option, a possibility.
So in some cases it’s merely taking the steps to the outcome you want.
In other cases it’s becoming aware that there are other options, that a different reality does exist.
And yet in other cases it means having to become aware of what perceptions or expectations have been holding you back in the first place.
If you expect to feel deprived by making nutrition changes, you will feel deprived.
If you expect to heal and know that is your priority, you’ll do that instead.
Maybe you already know where your beliefs are holding you back. Start looking for the proof that the opposite – the positive – does exist (or feel free to be the first to create it).
Maybe you don’t know where your beliefs are hindering you, just keep an open mind and pay attention to your thoughts and actions.
