Come Alive: Having Power over Limiting Beliefs

Recently I saw the film of the moment, the wonderful The Greatest Showman and I loved it! Immersed in a colourful world, accompanied by a hugely talented cast with lyrics to inspire (it helped that gorgeous Hugh Jackman is the main character too!). There is something about the messages hidden in the lyrics that has potential to speak to something in all of us. For me, the words from the song "Come Alive"  have got me thinking. How many of us can relate? How many of us stumble through our days, head hung low? How many of us feel like every day is a routine to be endured rather than enjoyed? How on earth do we "shake away" to develop the self belief to follow our dreams?

In order to help us navigate life safely, what we believe about ourselves begins developing from birth. Our brains store memories, imagine a library that we can consult as we grow that allows us to match experience to stored memories. When memory connects to positive sensations we are more likely to go for it again, when memory connects to negative emotions we are more fearful and less likely to go for it.

Our core beliefs are connected to this library too and it is these beliefs that encourage or prevent us following our dreams.

Although this sounds like we are trapped in these primordial rules, don't feel disillusioned because our core beliefs do not have to be set in stone. Our brain is capable of storing new memories and new beliefs, we just have to learn to create a detour in our (neural) pathways to the library. In order to do this we have to change our thoughts and repeat new ways of thinking until our brain has constructed new routes to follow. Simple right? Nope. This of course is not easy, but then neither is learning to walk, learning to read or learning to ride a bike. For your brain to learn anything new, we have to do it over, and over, and over again. Repeat, repeat and repeat again until the new thought becomes second nature.

What do you think when challenged with the unknown?

Do you find yourself thinking "Yes, I can do this" or "No, I can never do this" ?
What evidence does your brain show you to support these thoughts and what evidence does your brain show you to challenge these thoughts? I wonder what would happen if you substituted the words I can sometimes rather that the words I can never.  How could this encourage you? What would happen if you started recording all the times you have been able to achieve things rather than all the times things have gone wrong. What would happen if you thought stage by stage rather than thinking about the end game. Remember when you were learning to walk, you had to crawl first. If you had thought about running you may never have rolled over in the first place.

Steps to changing your thoughts:

Notice the re-occurring thoughts you have about yourself.
Create a list of these thoughts and then think of the evidence that support these thoughts.
Now, think of evidence (exceptions to the rule, things other people have said that disagree) that challenges these thoughts.

Re-word your thoughts to fit.

I am always stupid               My boss said he thought I was smart            Sometimes I can be smart

• Write the positive list in bold and repeat every day. 
• Create post-it note prompts for your mirror, your car, your phone, your fridge so that wherever you look you see the prompts and you can repeat these new beliefs.
• Tell friends and family so they can support you in challenging yourself.
• When you hear your thoughts about to revert to old rules, stop and notice. Correct yourself.
• Keep a journal of all the exceptions to the rule. At the end of every day record at least one positive experience and how you felt in relation to this.
• Keep a memory jar. Record all the times you have felt good about yourself and why. If you have a low day these reminders will remind you that bad days pass and there are experiences that have been positive.

We are not controlled by our thoughts, we have the power to control and change our thoughts. Mind and body are connected so the way we think affects how we feel and the way we feel affects the way we think. When we learn to think differently we can feel differently and this can help us to achieve our dreams. 

"Come Alive, Come Alive, Go and ride your light, Let it burn so bright"