Happy Friday!

Last week I caught a summer cold. Normally, I experience mild allergies and asthma almost on a daily basis, but when I get a cold it exaggerates it. So, I had to pay the doctor a visit.

Before I continue, I want to give you a little background story.

When I was in 8th grade, I went to the doctor for a routine check-up and shot. After I got the shot, I went to the check out counter with my mom. I put my elbow on the counter and rested my head on my hand. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor looking up at four doctors staring at me.

I fainted. I fell directly back and hit my head so hard that I had to go to the hospital. I had a concussion and then went home a few hours later.

From that experience, I formed the story, “When I get shots, I faint.”

A few times after that, a similar thing happened where I fainted around the sight of needles.

Which led me to BELIEVE, “I’m a fainter.”

Years later, at 31, I went to the doctor to get a tetanus shot and almost fainted again on my way out of the office. Here’s a pic:

From these experiences, it would be totally valid for me to identify with myself as someone who “faints around needles.” Which I did.

However, I cannot spend my life avoiding needles. Needles, shots, etc., are a part of life. Instead of trying to avoid them, I made a firm decision to change the story I was telling myself. I realize that even though I fainted in the past, it is not who I am. I stopped giving that story power. I stopped relating to myself as a “fainter” and I decided I was going to be a “champion.”

Back to going to the doctor last week. I had to get blood work. I repeated to myself, “I am a champion.” And, I took it like a CHAMP. I walked in with no anxiety and walked out like a winner – with ease.

The moral of the story is that we form beliefs about ourselves from events and experiences that aren’t necessarily true. While it was true that I fainted for the first time at the doctor’s office in 8th grade, it does not mean, “I am a fainter.” There were a number of different variables involved. For example, I could have had low blood sugar that day, or didn’t eat enough or was slightly dehydrated, etc. When we attach “I am….” to something, we become that; whether it be a limited thought or an empowered thought. Hence, “I am a champion” is a much more empowering thought which helped me deal with the situation with ease.

The only thing standing between you and your goal is the story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it. 

As a coach, I help clients uproot limiting beliefs they formed in the past and connect with the truth in order to release what’s holding them back from living the life they desire.

Here is a 4 Step Process for Transformation: 

1. You CAN change. Identifying with your ability to change is a key components to confidence {Click to Tweet it!} 
2. Make a firm decision to change
3. Exchange limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs
4. Take massive action

I invite you to reflect on a time in your life when a painful event or experience occurred where you formed a limiting belief about yourself or the world. For example, “Your boyfriend broke-up with you and now you think, ‘I’ll never find a good man.'” I challenge you to look at it from different perspectives that you might not have been able to see at that time. Are there other reasons, other than the belief you formed, this happened? Consider all the variables.

I challenge you to transform this belief into a champion mindset. Where in your life can you be a champion?

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