Question How You Label Yourself
SO MUCH of how we behave in life and what we do is based on the way we see ourselves through the perception of others. Even outside of ourselves we become almost conditioned to believe what we think is expected of us and the belief of others actually attaches to us. Our belief systems starting when we are children can be deeply embedded and do indeed affect every part of our lives. Sort of like being on auto pilot in the way we view and handle our thoughts and actions in daily life.
These belief systems are all encompassing from the way we see ourselves intellectually, physically, socially our confidence levels and self-esteem etc… In essence our belief systems create who we are and how we function in the world. This definitely starts when we’re very young. For example, how often have you heard a parent with all good intentions say something like this?
‘My little Amy is our artist and my little Jimmy is our scientist.’ Well what if little Amy is also a scientist and little Jimmy is also an artist? Right then and there a label has been firmly established which can carry on through our entire lives if not deliberately rearranged and corrected. It’s actually not that easy to change a deeply ingrained belief or web of beliefs. It takes a tremendous amount of determination, self reflection and confidence to do so. Often it happens when we are in so much emotional pain that we know we have to make drastic changes. No matter how we see and understand something intellectually, our emotional and subconscious self may be experiencing it from a whole different angle.
Have you ever noticed how many labels we attach to ourselves and others? If you listen carefully you’ll notice them continually throughout the day. Just this morning I’ve already heard someone label them self with, ‘I’m an insomniac.’ Another who has labeled themselves as a ‘procrastinator.’ If you start listening out for it you’ll be astounded at how often you hear these types of labels from others but more importantly listen out for how you label yourself. We all do it and it’s a terrible habit. That’s right, more than anything else it’s a habit that we started young or was started for us and we just carried on that belief or those beliefs regardless of their validity.
So much better in terms of self-talk to say, ‘I couldn’t sleep last night’ or ‘I’m temporarily struggling to get to sleep’ rather than ‘I’m an insomniac.’ How about this one. ‘I’m fat’ rather than, I’m carrying some extra weight right now.’ There’s an immense world between the wording of those two statements. To a large degree we create what we are. We have to be so careful of the way we speak to ourselves. We’re constantly creating and re-creating labels for ourselves and others.
Perhaps now is a good time to review the way you speak to yourself, the labels that you have put on yourself or carried through from childhood or from any other time in your life. Question yourself if they’re actually true. Maybe they were true at one point but no longer and it’s time to update and replace with fresh beliefs. There’s nothing wrong to let go of any labels or beliefs that aren’t serving you well, no matter how many years they’ve been attached to you or even who put them there. Hypnosis is a wonderful and efficient way to shift beliefs, install new ones, clear out the negative and inaccurate ones and make sure the conscious and subconscious minds are on the same page. When they work together in sync it’s a powerful force.
It’s by doing this that we can create a healthy and realistic belief system of ourselves that brings calmness, confidence, self-esteem and ultimately a feeling of peace. Get rid of self limiting and negative beliefs. Question any labels that have become part of you, question them and do a proverbial spring cleaning, no matter what time of year it is, on the labels and beliefs that are running the engine that drives the train of your life.
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Be confident and stay humble.
Vanessa Lindgren, Cht
© 2019 Modern Hypnosis Works