“How many limitations do you have, which were imposed by someone else? You can awaken from that particular state & un-hypnotize yourself, freeing you to achieve your potential.” –Janet Thomson, MSc
Do you ever find yourself saying something like: “I can’t do that” or “It’s impossible for me to start a business!” You tell yourself & everybody that holding on to your day job in the past 2 decades is really okay because it’s good paying & you receive a lot of benefits. So, you don’t want to save up for starting a business ’cause they are too risky & you are definitely going to fail.’ Even if all businesses have risks & successful businesspeople actually had to go through numerous attempts & failures to test things out & really see which approach would work for them. Even if owning businesses are truly beautiful because you learn to really trust yourself in the process.
How about clothes – do you sometimes hear yourself say “No way would I wear that, I would look funny in a dress” or “I don’t want to dye my hair black.” Even if reinventing yourself may actually be something you need right now so you could express a different side of who you are. Maybe you think you can’t learn something new, like playing a musical instrument – even if you are so good with feeling the beat of any song & could actually explore percussion instruments as a hobby, maybe even get to have side gigs in the future.
How about getting up in the morning & doing some quick exercise? Do you say you can’t walk or run daily because you are ‘too busy?’ Do you find yourself having to sleep late to complete & submit reports to your boss before tomorrow’s 9am meeting? That you’re too occupied & fulfilled with work that you actually neglect taking care of your body? That you don’t want to have enough sleep everyday & can’t put in 15mins of stretching or exercise because you’re prioritizing something where you are replaceable?
Or maybe you think you cannot drive because it is ‘too scary?’ How about not even trying to move out even if you’ve always wanted to since you were 18? Or you say that you don’t like to travel because you don’t want to? Even when traveling doesn’t have to mean going really far but simply exploring unfounded spaces & conversations? Without even trying something you really like; you instantly say no just because you think you can’t.
“Remember that your unconscious is always listening & watches everything you do. Whatever you begin to tell yourself, your unconscious will start to generate behaviors to support these statements.” –Janet Thomson, MSc
But did you ever ask yourself who told you these things? Where did you hear that “businesses are risky?” From your parents? Who don’t own any business? Have you tried talking to someone who owns a type of business that you are interested in doing? What do you think would they say? Don’t you want to find out?
Who told you that you look funny in a dress, or that your legs look too huge for shorts? Your cousin who always dress up lousily & attempt so much to look like they don’t care? Who always hide in the back, behind everyone else when taking photos? What do you think a stylist would tell you though?
Who said you cannot ever stop working to take a pause? Why do you sacrifice your sleep & health for decades? Who said that not getting any sleep so you could work is cool? Society who will say anything & everything? Who told you that not knowing how to manage your time is good for you?
Where did you hear that you should be scared of driving? Your uncle or your dad who thinks ladies cannot drive & make a snarky comment every time there’s a lady driver? Who said that moving out is not something you should do? Or that you’re too young for that?
Who told you that you cannot travel or there is only one way to travel? Your siblings or your cousins & other relatives? Or is it your Instagram feed, the people you follow?
“If you want to keep what you have already got, don’t change. If you want something different, you must first see yourself achieving it & in doing so, create the neurological pathways that make it inevitable.” –Janet Thomson, MSc
It gets too easy to be lost with all the noise around us. Noise that we actually subscribe to, voices that don’t really matter so much. But you can actually listen to people only where their inputs matter.
If you want to start a business, read books, put yourself in scenarios that could help you imagine if that business would be for you, try accepting small tasks relevant to your skill set, or accept small orders of cupcakes that you want to bake & sell. If you want to dress up better, find a brand representative of your style & shop from there. Find a good hairstylist whom you’re comfortable with & could help you reinvent & feel more confident about yourself.
If you feel overworked that you cannot plan things logically anymore & your priorities don’t feel balanced, talk to someone who switched jobs & see how the process was like. Watch documentaries, read self-help books & invest in yourself. There are so many opportunities out there, but you only have one body & mind. Prioritize yourself & know when you need a break.
“The process of visualization, combined with emotion and belief, will change the way you think and behave – it will literally overwrite any previous programmes, create brand new neurological pathways & maps & create an unshakeable faith in you that you will succeed. A key factor when it comes to visualization is this: your unconscious mind cannot tell the difference between reality and imagination.” –Janet Thomson, MSc
If you want to drive, why don’t you try playing a game first? Not one of my aunts or my mum drove when I was a kid. I didn’t personally know any woman who drove regularly. But I played Crash Bandicoot & there were so many racing games there. I watched Gwen Stefani & Norah Jones drive on their music videos. Alanis Morisette just kept driving in one of her MVs too & Vanessa Carlton’s piano was moving like a vehicle. I also found the Queen truly adorable when she drove her 4x4s. There were so many women I could look up to & they were all successful & driving so I chose to focus on them. So even if no one would teach me, I simply personally enrolled myself in driving lessons when I started working.
This is why you have to be selective of the type of environment that you surround yourself with. The things you see or hear over & over – even if they’re not factual or don’t make any sense; even if they’re actually morally wrong or untrue -would impact & solidify your limitations. Instead, use this knowledge to your advantage, find your circle who would empower you & help you release yourself from limiting beliefs. Those who would encourage you to gradually step out of your comfort zone.
“Imagination is so powerful that it can change our brain juice. We can use imaginations to create an alternative reality, & when we convince our unconscious of this new reality, it literally changes our behaviors to match it.” –Janet Thomson, MSc
So would you choose to limit yourself or imagine your new reality?
Coffee soon?
Anne