Change your thought, Change your life

I love babies, they are so pure and innocent. They ask for whatever they want and express all of their feelings openly, and, without embarrassment. I teach the 10 and 11 year old girls in my church. They are awesome, they haven’t totally been ruined by us adults yet. Amelia is 10, one day she came to class with new glasses, I said “you got new glasses, how cute are they” she smiled big and said “they are very cute” I love that, she wouldn’t have bought them if she didn’t think they were cute. I could tell when she said it that she wondered if it was okay to say that. YES it’s okay. Amelia still knows she is perfect and that she is awesome. You were like this when you were young, you knew how awesome you were, and that you were the center of the universe. You loved yourself totally, and knew that you were perfect. This is the truth of your being. All the rest is learned nonsense, and can be unlearned.

Like Amelia, I know how awesome I am. When I tell people how good I am at something, like cooking, they look at me like I just committed a crime. This is the kind of reaction that makes us feel self conscious about saying anything positive about ourselves. Why is it such a bad thing to own our own power.  I’m sure there is something you know you are good at. Ring your own bell! Blow your own horn! Shout from the rooftops! Dance the happy dance! YOU ARE AWESOME!!

It is incredible to me that some people can’t look themselves in the mirror and say “I love you.”
How often do you say, “That’s just the way I am” or “That’s the way things are.” “My body can’t do that.” or the famous line “It is what it is.” What you really mean is that’s what you “believe to be true for you.” Usually what we believe is only someone else’s opinion that we have accepted as our own, and implemented it into our belief system. It fits in with other things we believe. If  we were taught as a child that the world is a frightening place, then everything we hear that fits in with that belief we will accept as true for us--for example: “Don’t trust strangers,” “Don’t go out at night,” “People cheat you.”

Last year I turned 59, the closer it got to my birthday the more I took on other peoples opinions “I’m almost 60, that must be why I’m so tired.” “I am getting older, maybe I shouldn’t do so many pushups in class.” “Maybe I am doing to many classes a week for my age.” And so on. Then I really did start to get tired, and my body started to hurt. I actually started not being able to do pushups in class because my shoulders started to hurt. Then I realized what I was doing. I said, “Nancy! what are you doing?!! This is the kind of negative thoughts you counsel your clients not to do to themselves.” I quickly changed that learned nonsense back to the positive thought patterns I have always had. “I am awesome,” “I am strong and healthy.” “I am beautiful.” “I can do anything.” “maybe I can’t do it today, but I will someday.” Within two weeks I was back to my healthy, young, strong, awesome self. Doing pushups and feeling good. Change your thoughts, and change your life.

Nancy Adams

Thai Yoga Therapist and Ayurveda Consultant

These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.