Believe
This week a friend shared her ‘word of the day’ with me, and it simply said, “BELIEVE”! But those seven letters were enough to ignite a switch in my perspective…
“I Truly Believe In Positive Synergy, That Your Positive Mindset Gives You A More Hopeful Outlook, And Belief That You Can Do Something Great Means You Will Do Something Great.”
Russell Wilson
A lovely friend of mine shared her ‘word of the day’ with me, and it simply said, “BELIEVE”…
But those seven letters were enough to ignite a switch in my perspective!
You see, my word of the day resembled something along the lines of… FFS!!! 🤭
Just one of those days where a curve ball comes flying your way and knocks you off path, and anyone who knows me knows I not only like a plan, but I have to stick to a plan!!
So when set plans are thrown off course I get all… discombobulated (love this word)!
You see, just reading the word “BELIEVE” was enough to instantly shift my mindset… and I heard my inner voice declare:
“I BELIEVE that everything happens for a reason…”
Now, ‘FFS’ was genuinely how I felt, and that’s OK… that’s real, but lingering on these three words will only end in escalating frustration!
Whereas ‘BELIEVE’ made me see the situation differently… BELIEVE encapsulates faith… an ability to see the bigger picture… a way of trying to find a positive.
What do you need to BELIEVE right now?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t instantly see the answer of why my plans for that day were thrown off course, but choosing to believe everything happens for a reason gave me back a sense of power over the situation, and a faith that the reason will become clear… eventually!
Lost…
And I think this belief ties in with another emotion I’ve been feeling a lot lately… LOST.
Do you ever feel lost?
It’s an alarming feeling.
One where I find myself grappling at notches, trying to get a firm grip on something substantial…
I’m currently reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book “Be Useful” (I feel I should print the title of this book on my forehead!), and in there he talks about this sense of loss, and Arnie describes it as the result of not having a clear vision.
He explains that vision is vital in creating meaning and purpose in life, and people who feel lost don’t have a clear picture or plan.
And I think he has a point, because if we lose sight of our goals, our dreams, and our passions, that move us in a certain direction, towards a certain goal… then inevitably we are going to feel lost… adrift along a dusty road with no landmarks we recognise and just wide-open space all around us.
But like most things… I also don’t think it’s that black-and-white… I think sometimes our plans, visions and dreams can be ripped away from us, beyond our control, rather than absent-mindedly losing sight of them, and this can make us feel just as lost!
So what do we do about it?
Find a way of re-focussing our view.
Pause to take stock of our current situation…
What’s changed…
What’s realistic…
What’s no longer on the cards…
But also, what new opportunities are before us?
No matter the root cause behind this sense of loss, I think every so often we need to adjust the camera angle… zoom out, and check if we’re still moving along the same path… if we’ve taken an unexpected detour… if we should turn towards an unexpected detour… and ask ourselves if our path still runs alongside our values and beliefs…
Constantly moving
You see, as humans, we’re always in motion –
Physically (most of us don’t stay still long enough without noise or distractions to allow ourselves to pause and take stock)
Metaphorically (we are always changing as individuals; our situations and relationships, our experiences and personal growth… the world around us is always changing and it’s important we move with it…).
Your goals, dreams and grand plans from 10 years ago probably look unrecognisably different to how they do today… and that’s OK, because if not, we’d become stagnant.
Instead, we need to use that movement… our experiences and personal growth, to move forward!
Self-awareness
The key is self-awareness.
Consider what makes you, you.
Understand what motivates and drives you.
Recognise what’s important to you… what are your values and beliefs.
Because the more we understand ourselves, the more that wide open space around us gets filled with landmarks… and people… and new roads get paved.
The view becomes clearer, more enriched, and we become happier and more content!
Right then… I’m off now to take my own advice and do a little self-contemplation!
Because my own little town has been bulldozered… but from the rubble I can see unexpected opportunities and motivators sparkling like gems amongst the debris, and I’m going to see what I can salvage… what new and exciting dreams I can build… and where the road ahead takes me…
Stay strong!
Stay YOU!
I've sent this to someone who needs this right now. Thank you for an uplifting and positive read
Xxx