You Are Right!

There was a cute meme circulating on social media at the beginning of the Covid-19 shutdowns, while most of us were spending a lot more time at home. It said, “I always thought the reason I didn’t clean the house was because I didn’t have time. Now, I know that’s not the reason.”

Believe it or not, there is a lot to ponder in that simple meme! Long before social media existed, Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

Your brain believes whatever your mind tells it to. You see, our brains are hard wired to find evidence among all the stored memories and experiences we’ve had in the past to evaluate and support anything that we think today. So, if you think, “I can’t do it,” your brain will find evidence of any time that you have struggled, failed or given up. So, if you tell yourself that you don’t have time, resources, or ability to succeed you will most likely believe these thoughts to be true. This evidence, then, has the potential and the power to stop you from reaching goals or going after what you want in life because you may conclude that your current circumstance or situation will turn out like other failed attempts you’ve experienced in the past. “Been there, done that. Didn’t work then, won’t work now.”

Now, what is amazing about how our brains are wired is that we also have the ability to combat these thoughts! You do not have to live under a cloud of past disappointment or failure. You have the power to determine that your brain’s search for evidence will not stop at your past negative experiences, but rather keep going and explore other possibilities – great, positive, optimistic possibilities!

What if you were to tell yourself that you are capable, that you can make the time, that you are strong, and that you do have the ability to be successful? Your “inner critic” (that voice of self-doubt) may want to speak out, but if you were to silence this discouraging voice and allow yourself to think about those balanced, rational, hopeful thoughts, goals or ideas, you will give yourself the ability to find evidence to support them. Your brain will search the data it has stored and remind you of the time you crushed your goals, conquered your fears, or achieved results from all your hard work. Intentionally thinking about these things daily creates the potential for you to take steps forward in developing a life you really want to live.

Every day we have a choice. We can choose to allow our negative, self-limiting thoughts keep us stuck or we can choose to think more rational balanced thoughts that can give us the motivation, determination and drive to go after what we want. The choice is yours – because whatever you think, you are right!

Live, Work and Relate Well!

Kristen