Yesterday, I had a photographer take my pictures. As I was posing, I made comments such as, “I can’t smile showing my teeth because they are ugly.” “I have a horrible profile.” Ultimately my photos disputed my beliefs about my appearance.
Then I remembered: ‘Watch your mouth: The language we use creates the reality we experience.’ — Michael Hyatt.
How many times during the day do we define ourselves by our perceived limitations? “I am clumsy.” “I’ve always been this way.” These limiting statements prevent us from striving to do things with our lives. We look in the mirror and think, “I am old/fat/thin.” We examine our bodies by our perceived deficits, “My thighs are too big.” Can we look in the mirror and smile at the image reflected, appreciating it for all its unique qualities?
Our daily routine is reflected in our verbiage, “The weather is just dreadful.” No, the weather just is. “I’m in a bad mood because of the rain.” No, the rain does not make you angry; you choose to be angry. The rain has no power to generate an emotion in you.
You are driving your vehicle and experience other drivers cutting in, speeding and so forth. You grit your teeth and use language which I will not repeat here. You are caught in a traffic jam and perhaps use the same language. You have no control over other drivers, and you are doing damage to your nervous system to boot! Let the drivers go. While you are stuck in the traffic jam, turn on music and take the time to have a mental break. For instance, I close my eyes and think, “How lucky I am right now. I am not doing dishes, cleaning the house and paying bills. I am resting! What a great opportunity for tapping into my inner resilience!” (We all could use a bit more resilience!)
How we define situations does become our reality. If we believe that an upcoming experience will be “dreadful,” then it will become dreadful for us. We throw out words such as horrible, awful, and terrible to describe situations that are mere obstacles in our daily lives. By using these descriptive words, we put more stress on ourselves.
Perception is everything. Choose your words wisely: they can either chain us to a limited existence or free us. So, how are you defining your day?
Article written by Sun City Resident
Terri Fitzsimmons
