What you think you can't do

My brain only listens to ME.  

I heard that in a grief work class I took years ago. I think I also heard Joyce Meyer say it in several of her teachings.

I need to tell my brain the truth. Tell it things that are possible and not things that are limiting. 

In my head, though, I often find myself saying, "I can't do that." 
Maybe it's the way I see an artist paint something. Or, how to put lettering on the canvas. 

How do they do that? I could never do it like that!

Or, maybe it's to travel half way across the country by myself.

Where did these limiting beliefs come from? When did they start? What happened to shut down my belief in myself?

I know I had big dreams. Most small children do.

"I want to be a teacher!" (said with a huge grin, of course!)

"I wanna be a fire man!"

"I want to be a nurse!"

Yeah, I had my "I wanna a be a nurse" phase. It lasted until I found out about shots and blood and all that. In other words, that dream didn't last long.

Mostly, all I remember is that limiting belief, coming out as the words I typed above.

"I could never do that!"

A good friend was talking to me recently about this topic and he said, in essence, 

"repeat after me, 'I can do anything and go anywhere I want to. I am free.'"

I admit that saying that statement after him was a very difficult thing for me to do. It got stuck in my throat as the lump formed. 

Finally I repeated after him. I said, "I can do anything and go anywhere I want to. I am free." 

I said it through tears. I said it through fits and starts, but I said it. 

And, you know what? 
Now, I'm beginning to believe it.

What would you do, or where would you go, if you believed you could do anything?

Blessings to you today, friend.

~Anne

I'm linking up with the lovelies at Coffee for Your Heart and at Three Word Wednesday.

Six things I learned in May

Today, I'm joining other writers over at Chatting at the Sky to share what we learned in May. This is a link up started by Emily Freeman several months ago so we can share the fascinating, ridiculous, sacred or small.

1. I'm going to give up on negative loyalty. A virtue that I used to think was all good and not bad, has me twisted up in the game. By personality, I am a very loyal person. This is great when it comes to relationships in my life that are healthy, and beliefs and values that serve me well.

However, this characteristic of loyalty that I possess is not good when it comes to outdated beliefs I’ve held onto, or to ideas and people that no longer serve me. Mostly, I am talking about things like:

dogmatism (Webster: a viewpoint based on insufficiently examined premises. There.)

unforgiveness

guilt

fears

I need and want to embrace the fact that I can change outdated beliefs and ideas that no longer serve me well. To give up on negative loyalty.

2.  I still struggle with self-confidence. I took a seminar this month that in it's very nature is still helping me to grow in this. It may be a life long growth process. But, I am excited that I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this area! Woo!

3. Looking into downsizing our dwelling is a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. Even though I need to purge more of my possessions, this is not what I am talking about.

What I realized in starting to look at smaller homes, in a much lower price range, is that my husband and I have had to have many more discussions about priorities than I expected. 

Surprise? 

I thought if I found a house I liked in the price range that we agreed on, that he might just willingly comply with my wishes and discount his! 

Why did I think this?

Hmm. I was wrong. On two occasions. I have had to let go of expectations, and become more open minded. This was a surprise to me. (really?) 

After being married to this man for almost thirty years. 

Kevin and Anne as newlyweds

This just reminds me that no matter how long you are married, healthy communication will always trump assuming!!

4. My daughter and I started watching The Paradise TV series together on DVD. The series begins in 1875, and is about a young woman who goes to stay with her uncle in Northeast England, but also needs a job. She gets a job at a department store called The Paradise, where only single women are permitted to have jobs. And, they are required to live there.

It’s full of drama with all the young women employees living and working together and fighting over the owner, Mr. Moray, who happens to be a widower and is quite handsome. Check it out, if you like period shows! We’ve already established which characters are atrocious and which ones we like. 

5. Yesterday, I made a birthday cake for my son's twenty fourth birthday. I eat gluten free, but I made him a "glutenous" cake (as my family puts it.) I found that I didn't feel deprived one bit by making myself a root beer float instead of having a piece of cake! Yup! 

hubby and I lighting the candles spelling out "24"

6. It seems I spent a lot of the month of May trying to learn (with my doc) how to get more sleep! So, lots of things learned in the “taking care of me” department this month! Here’s to a very fruitful, sleep-filled June filled with teachable moments!

Thanks for stopping!! :)