“I’m not a morning person”
“I’m just not the active type”
These were two beliefs that I created in my teens, and lived much of my adult life around.
BUT, if these thoughts are true, then what on earth am I doing booking an 8 a.m. (yes that’s short for morning) bike tour of New Orleans on my vacation?
I have two days to spend exactly as I please while my children are at home and my husband is at his conference.
My first choice – an 8 a.m. biking tour – can’t wait!
See, a coach asked me the magic question:
“well, do you want to be that kind of person?”
I learned that it’s a choice we make, and we can rechoose any time we like. It’s very powerful. Once we create a story about ourselves, we seek and create evidence for this thought, until it becomes a deep rooted belief.
So I spent much of my teens and early adulthood lying in bed reading until all hours of night and early morning. Then I would have great difficulty waking up in the morning, and was bad mooded and disorganized. A perfect system of thoughts becoming reality. I was definitely not an active person, and my family will confirm that I was DEFINITELY not a morning person!
A few years ago I hired a personal trainer, who, after a complicated assessment involving protractors and other fancy equipment, told me that I have the body type of an athlete (this despite the fact that I have never caught a ball in my life!).
Hmmm, a conflict between my belief and an objective reality. I decided to solve this paradox, and coaching provided me with a technique to change my core beliefs. It’s so simple. All I had to do was find a replacement thought that was equally true and believable, and that served my goal. I decided to try out these beliefs instead:
“I am becoming an active person”
“I love to create joy in my house in the morning”
These thoughts felt real, and made me feel calm and peaceful, so I’ve simply been practicing them these past few months….
And here I am, creating evidence for the new thoughts, by choosing, out of all the endless options in New Orleans, such as my extremely comfortable bed in my gorgeous executive room overlooking the Mississippi, or cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde, to wake up early, and join Bob for a 20 mile ride through Mississippi. In fact, I’m so excited about it I’ve booked to do the Ninth Ward tomorrow with my husband.
After that, cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde!
Do you have any beliefs about yourself that are holding you back? I can help you change them, and change your life! bev@forever-free.ca
P.S. If you’re in New Orleans, don’t miss Bob’s fun, interesting tours http://www.bigeasybiketours.com/Big_Easy_Bike_Tours/Home.html
