As human beings, we are creatures of habit. We thrive in consistency and familiarity. Our brain is wired to find patterns, and we tend to stick to what we know. This is where self-definition comes in. How you define yourself has a powerful impact on the life you create for yourself.
Let me share my personal story with you. For years, I hated the winter months. I blamed the weather for my lack of exercise and outdoor activities. I used it as an excuse to stay indoors and hibernate. I defined myself as someone who hated the cold and believed that there wasn’t anything I could do about it, until of course, I had relocated to Noosa.
However, this self-definition, as I later discovered, was negatively impacting my mental and physical health. I was constantly waiting for the winter to be over, never really living in the present moment. I knew something needed to change, and that change had to start with how I defined myself and how I wanted to feel moving forward. I realized that if I defined myself as someone who hated winter, my mind would look for evidence to support that belief. I had to reframe my definition and create a new belief that supported me.
I made the decision to take responsibility for how I felt during the winter months. I started to find ways to embrace the cold and crisp mornings, releasing all the reason why I couldn’t surf through the winter months. I also made sure I had an indoors activity for those particularly blustery days – enter heated yoga. As I worked towards creating new beliefs that supported my physical and mental health, I realised what a profound impact it had on my wellbeing and what I was ‘getting’ in life.
You see, how we define ourselves shapes the stories we tell ourselves, which influences our actions and behaviours. Once we attach ‘I AM’ to any experience, emotion, or event, we create strong beliefs that we internalize, and our mind then works to find evidence which confirms that belief. We stay consistent with how we have chosen to define ourselves. This is why it is so important to pay attention to how we define ourselves. We need to be mindful of our self-talk, the stories we tell ourselves, and the beliefs we attach to them. When we can do this, we give ourselves the power to shape our lives.
The truth is, we cannot control everything in our lives. But what we can control is the way we choose to define ourselves and the beliefs we hold. We can choose to define ourselves as resilient, adaptable, and capable. We can create beliefs that empower and support us, rather than ones that hold us back.
So, how do you define yourself? Are the beliefs you hold empowering or holding you back? It’s time to take a step back, pay attention to your self-talk and create new beliefs that support your growth. For this time of the year – how are your beliefs affecting your wellness goals and what you believe you can or can’t achieve?
In conclusion, what we create for ourselves is a direct result of how we define ourselves. Our self-definition influences our beliefs, which shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Choose to define yourself in a way that empowers and supports you, and watch as the life you create for yourself becomes more fulfilling, satisfying, and abundant.