The Power of Yet
“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
-Anais Nin
We have all heard people say that we all have a voice inside of our heads that is constantly talking to us. We may or may not hear this mind chatter because so much of it is unconscious AND much of it is also not helpful to us showing up in the world the way we would like.
If we want to change our lives, we need to change our thoughts and beliefs and to do that, we need to befriend that voice in our heads. That voice speaks from our core beliefs and creates our own personal reality of how we see ourselves and the world around us. Everything we have experienced, the way people have spoken to us, and every need that we have had that was met or unmet creates the lens with which we see and interpret ourselves and our lives. Over our lifetime, we come to see these as “truth”.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” Anais Nin
Most of us have carried limiting beliefs with us since we were young. Whether they were influenced by our parents, families, religious organizations, on the playground, or in the classroom, limiting beliefs lead us to begin sentences with “I’m not” and/or “I can’t”. We come to think in absolutes like ”I’m not smart” or “I’m not good in new situations”. I had a story that I wasn’t smart for most of my life. Not only did I believe that this was true, I thought that it was a fixed trait…that I was born that way and there was nothing that I could do to change it. It never dawned on me that perhaps I didn’t thrive in the academic environment in which I was raised AND I can actually learn many new concepts, skills and activities.
This is the power of belief. If we want to transform our lives, we need to change our beliefs. A huge shift for me came when I began realizing that things weren’t fixed, and that our brains are actually wired for constant growth. One of the most powerful words we can adopt to shift a limiting belief is the word “yet”.
Here are some thoughts on how “yet” can change our lives:
1. Yet moves us to a growth mindset. Most of our limiting beliefs are stuck in a fixed mindset. Yet holds infinite possibilities. “Today I can’t do it AND I have the power, tools, energy, etc. to learn how to do it.”
2. Yet is filled with optimism.
3. Yet changes “I’m not” and “I can’t” to “I am” and “I can” with an invitation to grow.
4. The idea of “yet” keeps us on the learner path. It allows us to focus on the journey, the process and the effort.
5. Yet keeps us curious and curiosity leads to new experiences which leads to growth. (BTW…We were born curious…our limiting beliefs can squash that beautiful piece of us.)
I invite you to think about something the voice in your head has told you “I can’t” and how adding “yet” might change that. Your best life is on the other side of your fears and limiting beliefs so let “yet” be your catalyst for transformation. Brave your way on, beautiful soul.