"By words, we learn thoughts, and by thoughts, we learn life."
—Jean Baptiste Girard
How often do you find yourself using the word Can't?
❌ Sorry, I can't meet you for a walk because I have a bad knee.
❌ I can't find the time to enjoy that new book sitting on my nightstand
❌ Oh man, I can't go exercise my back hurts too much.
❌ I can't find the time to spend with family due to my phone constantly chiming.
Take a moment and chose your own I can't sentence or one of the statements above it is something you connect with.
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths then speak this sentence to yourself and notice how it feels in your body and where you feel it in your body. Does it create warmth and ease or tension and possibly pain? Do you feel it in an area you have consistent aggravation in? Notice how easy it is for words to create tension and rigidity in the body, which doesn't just affect us emotionally and mentally, but physically. This can also hinder our movement (mobility) leading to physical issues.
What emotion do you feel over it? Sadness, frustration, anger, void, despair?
Just how LIMITING do you find Can't to be? We all including myself Can fall into this limiting belief of Can't. What if you start taking small action steps to remove the "n't or not" from Can.
How CAN we do the thing, if we continuously tell ourselves we CAN'T do the thing?
Now that we've felt how saying Can't feels, let us feel the other side.
Pause a moment take 3 deep breaths in, and shake out any area feeling cluttered. Now take that same sentence and remove the "n't" from Can.
✅ I CAN go for a walk because I found someone to help me restore my knee.
✅ I CAN get comfortable and read that book sitting on my nightstand.
✅ I CAN schedule that new exercise program that will strengthen my back.
✅ I CAN Absolutely turn off my cell phone and enjoy time with the family.
Is the sensation different? How does it feel in the body when you say "I CAN"?
Where do you feel it in the body? Does it elicit a new more freeing emotion?
Take a moment to notice the difference in both instances, so you are more able to identify when you are falling into limited thoughts and words. When you do pause take 3 deep breaths in the nose and audible exhale out to release the grip and flow into your positive statement your direction out.
Nervous system movement and aromatics are also great ways to help us release old patterns and move into our area of freedom and empowerment. And also remember to give yourself GRACE don't beat yourself up and get frustrated everything is a process and journey. Take a moment to speak Gratitude into it "I'm grateful for the quality time I spend with my family" or "Thank you Knee for carrying me through a wonderful walk with Mary".
Would Love to hear your takeaway and anything that really resonated.
Blessings,
Patti
