Dear Reader,

Our minds are a curious place. 

A place vastly underestimated and the one muscle that is responsible for the function of our entire being. A muscle frequently ignored when it comes to exercising. 

A muscle that is our biggest critic, the one that tells us we could never do something, we aren’t good enough. It sets all of our limitations. It can also be our biggest cheerleader, capable of the most incredible growth one could ever hope to imagine, overcoming the limitations we set and gives us the power to transform our very thoughts. Thought’s are seeds. What you sow and water daily determines if that thought sprouts a noxious weed or a powerful tree.

We have seen many across the globe achieve complete overhauls and of their lives, harnessing mind over matter again and again. We don’t always see the battles they fought within themselves or the mental challenges they had to face.

These people made the decision within their very being that no matter what, they achieve what they set out to do. Most of the time, they would have certainly started out small and chipped away at it over time.  The biggest changes take time. Patience is not something most folks are good at, myself included. Patience is a key factor to succeeding at anything in life. If you want something bad enough, you have to want to make it happen in your very soul.

How do we transform our thoughts?

With one thought at a time. To gradually enhance the feeling tied to that thought. All the way to eventually taking a single action… it all starts with the committed decision to do so in the first place. Nobody can do that part for you. Whatever that is to you, only you can choose to do it even despite whatever challenges may present themselves. Nobody else can hear your thoughts. There’s nobody but your own mind there to poke fun at yourself for being “so ridiculous”.

Get the ball rolling:

Spend time each day not just thinking about making a change, picturing what it would be like, feeling it in your soul that you can make that change. Picture yourself taking action, picture the smallest action you could possibly take to get the ball rolling. It doesn’t have to be some massive ground-breaking action. The decision to do so, to keep at it with the determination to tie thought to action is more than enough to start with.

You may find it easier to write thoughts you want to grow on sticky notes and place them in strategic areas around your home, such as the bathroom mirror. Another tool would be to keep a diary, write in it what you want, how you want your thoughts to be each day. Thoughts of change, the belief that you can and you will even if you don’t fully believe it yourself yet.

For example, if you are wanting to become more productive, imagine yourself being productive. Not in a “I hate that I’m not” sort of way, because that can lead to more unproductivity. Be kind to yourself about it. Instead imagine that you are productive, you are already that person who is productive and think about that being a part of your identity. It may not be true straight away, but change and growth has to begin somewhere.

Neuroplasticity: Unlearning and relearning habits

Your mind is so much more powerful than we give it credit for. 

The term “neuroplasticity” is a term to describe the brains ability to adapt and change due to learning and experience. That means that we are all capable of learning and developing our brains over time. We get so caught up in a single belief, or a single mindset that we forget we are capable of growth and change. We are capable of adapting new thoughts, new mindsets and new beliefs.

You may have 10 successful days, only to have another bad day. The kindness, patience and consistency comes in when you know within yourself that you will keep going. Even if it means starting again 100 times and more. The point is to keep going until it becomes an action. Followed by the choice to take another action, and another until it eventually becomes a habit. A fantastic resource that covers developing habits in more depth is James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. I will also be writing more about developing habits in future articles.

Growth-Mindset vs Stunted-Mindset

When you think about daily life, everyday actions, what you do when you wake up, to how you entertain your mind, how often do you look up and take notice of the action itself and the process tied to it? How much of your life is on autopilot? Have you ever seen something that inspired you, something that made you light up on the inside and your first thought was “I wish I could do that!” or “if only I was that sort of person…” and you instantly put yourself down or think you could never… but, what if you could? 

Every time those thoughts of “you could never…” or “who are you to…” or whatever growth-stunting thought creeps in, remember you have the choice to think instead “I will achieve that.” “Yes I can change” “I will do it anyway”. Replace the negative thoughts with any growth thought you like such as: “No matter how long it takes me, I will do this.” or “Okay, I had a set-back, as long as I keep going that is all that matters.” It doesn’t matter how slow or fast your progress is, the point is that you keep making progress. There is a wonderful book written by Lewis Howes called The Greatness Mindset where he addresses this topic thoroughly including overcoming trauma to live as your best self.

Roadblocks:

Whatever your road block may be, there is always a way to navigate through these challenges. Our minds are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for, we just have to be willing to learn how to use it. Whatever your goal, it must be a personal journey for yourself, if you don’t truly want to change, you won’t. You will settle into whatever reason inhibits your growth for immediate comfort. True growth is found by challenging yourself to lean into discomfort.

So take a deep breath and begin to focus on what it is you want to achieve even despite your roadblocks. Boil it down, start as small as you need to, and go from there. Remember to be kind to yourself, that big changes take time, so long as you get back up each time you fall, no matter how many times that might be.

Summary:

• Start small by thinking about an action you want to take or change.
• Water the thought daily, allow it to grow .
• Create daily reminders for yourself inspiring those new thoughts, such as a diary or sticky notes.
• Remind yourself to replace growth stunting thoughts with affirmations.
• Be patient and kind to yourself, the greatest changes take time.
• Keep going, no matter how long it takes. Start over as many times as you need to.

Disclosure:

These articles I write are for inspirational purposes only. Always seek professional advice before undertaking any dangerous or potentially harmful changes in your life.

There have been rare circumstances where someone with physical impairments has achieved incredible feats based on their beliefs and thoughts, their drive and tenacity to achieve what many thought impossible. However many have physical challenges that do limit them physically, these folk are still capable of producing wonderful feats, they may not walk a tightrope in heels, but will no doubt be capable of achieving many other things, such as art, literature or more. Only you can ascertain your own personal limits, as always be safe and apply common sense when making life-altering decisions.

Until next time dear Reader.

Much Love, Mara xx