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We’ve all heard Nike’s trademarked saying, “Just do it.” What would your saying be? Mine is, “Start anywhere.”
It doesn’t matter whether you begin to change something in your life by changing your thoughts first or if you begin by changing your habitual behaviors. Either way, you will free yourself from your prison of endurance. The more stubborn your mind, the better it may be to change your actions first and let your mind catch up with the results later. It’s like trying to stay mad or sad when you’re smiling. Just the act of moving those mouth muscles upward changes the way you feel and think. Do a new behavior enough times and you will start to question the authority of those limiting beliefs, self-judgments, and fears.
Today, think of one habitual behavior that reinforces a fear, self-judgment, or limiting belief. For example, do you make excuses for avoiding a creative pursuit because you have self-doubt? Do you withhold affection because you are afraid of being rejected? Instead of trying to talk yourself into higher self-esteem or fearlessness, walk the talk or, as they say in AA, “Fake it ‘till you make it.” Behave in a way that says boo back to that fear. Snub your nose at self-judgment or unworthiness by acting as if you had already changed your mind. In other words, if you’re having a bad hair day x 365 over something, get your hair done instead of just affirming that it looks fine or that you shouldn’t care, or worse yet, that you don’t matter enough. Start somewhere, anywhere. How? Dive into that creative project. Give affection freely.
Yes, changing our behavior takes courage. It is risky. But how will you thrive if you don’t listen to your spirit? To find your courage, think of someone you admire. There–if you spot it, you got it! You can’t admire something in someone that is not already within you. Nurture that quality. Become the person you admire. Listen to your spirit and remember that you are your own GURU (Gee You Are You).
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Click here to read Jane’s article in USA Today on the lessons we can glean from celebrity breakups.
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