be·lief
noun
1. an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists
Over the past few years, I have adopted the tradition of choosing a word to focus on throughout each calendar year. Some of my recent words have been Simplify, Connection, and Intention. These words served me well by providing me with some extra focus and opportunity for introspection throughout the year.
For the coming year, I’ve chosen the word BELIEF.
When I sat down to ponder what word I could choose for my 2021 focus, this word came to me almost instantly. I knew instinctively that it was the perfect choice for the growth that I am seeking in the coming months, both personally and in my business.
Through my own self-coaching work, the coaching I have received from others, and the amazing clients that I have had the privilege of coaching over the last year, I have come to understand just how powerful our beliefs can be.
The beliefs we ascribe to, whether consciously or subconsciously, have a direct impact on how we experience the world, those around us, and ourselves.
In 2021, I want to be more intentional about my beliefs. I want to pull them out of the shadows and take a closer look at what they are and how they are impacting my life. I want to get better at choosing my beliefs intentionally. I want to root out the beliefs I have been carrying for years that are no longer in alignment with who I am aiming to become. In my relationships, my business, my religion, my motherhood, and every other aspect of my life, I am ready to start choosing beliefs that serve me. I am done living as a servant to the beliefs that have been offered to me by others.
Most of my current beliefs are nothing more than a collection of thoughts that I have been thinking on repeat for so long that I have begun to see them as fact. Some of these long held beliefs continue to serve me, but I have become increasingly aware of just how many of my beliefs have gone unexamined for too many years.
For example, here are just a few of the (mostly unconscious) beliefs that I have uncovered and worked to root out of my own thoughts over the last year or so:
Martyrdom is a necessary part of motherhood.
I am responsible for other people’s emotions.
I am not a dog person (if you know, you know).
I am capable of disappointing God.
I need the approval of those around me.
Certain parts of me are unlovable and need to be changed.
If I could fail, I shouldn’t even try.
I am genuinely excited to focus on building a collection of very intentional beliefs in the coming year. I anticipate that it will be a journey filled with varying levels of discomfort and a strong dose of resistance from time to time. But I am also deeply encouraged by my newfound belief that everything I hope to have or become is on the other side of discomfort.
In the words of my mentor Brooke Castillo, “Discomfort is the currency of your dreams. The more uncomfortable you are willing to be, the closer your life will align to what you want it to be.”
If you are ready to step into the discomfort and empowerment that comes from examining your own beliefs and start taking ownership over what they are creating in your life, click here. I would be so honored to be your guide.
I can’t wait for you too see how incredible this journey can be!