I was “big” as a child, and “overweight” as a teen and young adult. That’s how I defined myself. Overweight, un-athletic, and clumsy. I saw myself as someone who might have potential, but was limited by excess weight. Each time I tried diets and failed, my self-esteem declined until I felt trapped by my body. Finally I hit bottom and got so depressed that I came dangerously close to killing myself. That’s when I had a turning point. I couldn’t kill myself because I was unwilling to hurt my parents. Diets weren’t helping me be thin or happy. And, I intended to have a good life (and a body I enjoyed living in). Suddenly, I knew that I must abandon the old “diet” methods I’d relied on, and forge my own path. In an instant, I released my dependence on quick fixes, and began to rely on myself. I committed to do whatever it took, and it’s paid off in ways I couldn’t have imagined then. Above all, I changed my story.
As I studied health and fitness, and pushed myself to try new things, I discovered that my thoughts were often what was holding me back. I gave myself new things to think, even though I didn’t believe them. To my amazement, changing my “story” helped me break through self-imposed barriers like no diet ever could! I imagined that I was who I wanted to be. I practiced “being” that thin, fit person I wanted so desperately to be. I stopped looking at myself in full-length mirrors (to avoid berating myself) and instead focused on feeling light and fit in my body. I pretended I WAS that person. And eventually, I BECAME that person. That’s how manifestation works. Changing your story matters.
It’s been said that it takes 40 days for transformation to occur, and that may be true to install new behaviors as habits. But it’s also true that a new awareness can change us instantly. I recently heard that phenomena called an “Easter moment”. It’s that moment when we release an old belief or adopt a new belief in order to become something new. What old beliefs stand in the way of you achieving your deepest intentions?
Is it time to update your story?