As a young child, many of us were told you can be anything when you grow up. And like most children, I first set my sights on the more traditional dreams of becoming, a teacher, a doctor, or a lawyer. As I got older my sights changed and my goals were to take the entertainment industry by storm. I had dreams of walking the runways in NYC or acting in commercials. Then there was the dream of working in the music industry. This dream started with wanting to own a dance studio to wanting to open a live music venue for the grown and sexy of course! Yes, I know I was all over the place. But if you asked me, at any given time, all these dreams felt real. All these dreams felt possible.
Fast forward to today, I am not a teacher, doctor, or a lawyer. I cannot act to save my life. I am always one of the first to start dancing at functions, but I do not think a twostep and a poor attempt of twerking serves as a qualified dance instructor. However I do have a fierce runway walk as I walk up and down the aisles of Target 😊! So, what happened?
As you become older, you meet your enemies known as fear, rejection, worry and self-doubt. These bullies become louder and more disruptive. They are quick to point of every time you have failed. They whisper in your ear “you are not good enough” or “you should have known better.” The louder they get, the more your true friends (faith, hope, love, confidence, and self-acceptance) fade into the background. And they continue to fade until doubt, fear, and rejection creeps into the fabric of your DNA and alters your course all together.
The little girl who once thought she could be a teacher is discouraged because of her speech impediment. The teenager who dreamt of becoming the next top model received the word “no” one to many times. The young adult who had visions of owning a live music venue does not even attempt to try due to the fear of failure.
Instead, she sets her eyes on a career that was stable, and a life that was typical. She puts her head down and works hard. Building a restrictive, claustrophobic box, she refers to as her haven. Adopting the belief, if she plays within her box, never pushing the boundaries, she will be fine. Right?
Here is the thing, the boxes we put ourselves in, are all created in our minds. We build these boxes, brick by brick or rather thought by thought. With every discouraging self-thought another brick goes up. With every fear of failure, or an I told you so, another layer is secured. The height of this box continues to grow until we are so restricted, we lose sight of who we are.
The beauty of this situation is we have the power to change it because we become what we believe. For every negative thought we have, there is a positive thought. For every lie we tell ourselves, there is the truth for us to discover. For every worry or fear we have, there is a solution. What is even more spectacular, is that every truth, every solution, every positive experience is already inside of you?.
How do you find it?
Get still and rediscover your true self.
When you know who you are, you will find it easier to stand in your truth. You will know who you are, and what you are capable of.
Eliminate the false narratives.
When you know who you are, you will be able to identify the thoughts, that do not serve you well. You will begin to develop the courage to challenge these narratives and replace them with the truth.
State what you want, with confidence.
As you begin to discover your power and your self-worth you will begin to confidently ask for what you deserve. You will begin to display the courage to wait for what you know is your blessing. Never settling for less.
Trust and let go.
Because you know like you know that you are worthy you will slowly relinquish control and trust that God will unfold everything for you at the right time.
As you rebuild your beliefs system, you will start to rebuild your dreams, your life, and your world. As you elevate your way of thinking, you will begin to tear down the walls that are closing in around you. But first, it’s time to say goodbye to your bullies, and invite your true friends back to the table. It’s time to take a true look at yourself, and ask what do I believe?
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