How often do you hear yourself begin a response with “I can’t … I never … I always …”?
“I never take a break when there’s a deadline.”
“I can’t do that – I’m not talented enough.”
“No, I won’t drive through town – I always take the highway.”
Scan the various areas of your life (home, parenting, relationships, work, recreation…). Listen for your inner I Never … I Can’t … I Always …”. My “favorite” such phrases have included:
I’m not good enough to do that.
I don’t have time for that.
But I am practicing catching myself and reframing:
I could practice a bit and get better.
I may not be as good as others, but, yes, I am good enough!
If I moved that task into tomorrow or decided it didn’t need to happen, I’d have plenty of time!
My invitation to you today is:
Catch Yourself!
Notice when your first reaction is an immediate shut down of an idea, a Never or Can’t or Always kind of statement. Then play with alternatives like:
I usually don’t … but I’ll try.
I feel incapable of doing … but maybe I can – with a bit of help!
I prefer … but I’ll experiment.
Have fun. Watch your world expand.
What’s possible now?