We all hold on to beliefs about who we are. For me, I’ve always seen myself as someone who is logical, determined, and willing to push through adversity to achieve my goals.
I would describe myself as a perfectionist: detail oriented, routined, and highly structured. And my self-identity was largely tied to things like Crossfit, leadership, and independence.
But over the last few months, I had the opportunity to explore new experiences and different sides of myself I didn’t know existed. I’ve spent time visiting metaphysical shops, gardens, and taking care of plants. And my apartment now reeks of sage and lavender 🌱 I started drinking tea in the evenings, even though it just tastes like dirty flower water 🤐
And I’ve learned about the soul, spirit world, psychic energy, and mediumship. I even bought one of those weird smudge sticks and walk aimlessly around my apartment with it. And to be honest, I have no idea what i’m doing 😅
These new experiences felt unusual at first, and challenged the stereotypes I created for myself. But in stepping outside my comfort zone, I’ve come to learn a few things:
1. We all hold on to beliefs about who we are. These beliefs may be true, but they can also be self-limiting. We are more than what we believe we are. We just have to be open to change.
2. Don’t be afraid to change. We’ve held onto these beliefs for so long that challenging them can be hard, uncomfortable, and difficult to come to grips with. But that’s ok. Change is necessary for us to grow.
3. Change happens slowly. Our mindset, routines, habits, and beliefs were formed over years. Decades even. Don’t expect yourself to re-route your behavior overnight. Be kind to yourself, and allow changes to happen in their due course.
Change comes when you surround yourself with people who see the world differently. When you try new things, experiment, make mistakes, and fail. When you step outside your comfort zone. And if you are open, they can profoundly shape you. But regardless of “you” are, know this:
You’re always you, and that won’t change. And you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it ✨