3 Major Shifts We Experience Once We Believe in Ourselves

I remember when I first began going to yoga. I didn’t quite understand what I was getting into at the time, but I soon realized I’d embarked upon a life altering experience. While conquering the poses are fun and challenging, the real work in yoga is done in the breath, the transitions and the endurance.

I used to go to class and watch people do arm balances and headstands and it seemed like something I just wasn’t meant to do. I tried halfheartedly, fell a few times, got nervous about looking silly and ultimately delayed my process because I didn’t truly believe in my abilities.

Have you ever halfheartedly tried something, fallen flat a few times, got scared about looking foolish and unknowingly delayed your process?

Believing in our talents and abilities is a decision, not a feeling. We have to decide we are good enough for great relationships, decide to exercise because our health is important to us and decided to take the first steps towards our dreams because no one else is going to do it for us.

In my experience, when we make the decision to believe in ourselves, 3 major shifts start to happen.

First, we take ACTION. If we don’t really believe we can accomplish a goal why would we waste our time working towards it. This is what all those quotes about having what you believe in comes from. They don’t mean that when you just desire something and pray for it, it will show up. It means that when you truly believe with your whole heart, your spirit has no choice but to take action that moves you into the direction of your goals, it becomes natural.

Second, we get FOCUSED. Once we begin to make true effort and push past our self-doubt, clarity comes more frequently. In this shift, we decide our goals are bigger than our fears. People, places and old habits that don’t serve our greater good fall by the wayside or become unattractive. Our time suddenly opens up since unnecessary tasks are eliminated without hesitation. We began to enjoy mastering our craft and find it hard to see how spending our time doing something we don’t really like was ever a real option.

Third, we ATTRACT HELP. It’s funny how we think this part should happen first. We sometimes feel that once we share an idea with someone else they will think it’s so great that they will automatically start supporting us in whatever ways we need. But people don’t really work like that, they like to jump on a moving train, not one stalled at the station. Before we commit, the people who have the ability to help us can’t see us simply because we’re not running in the same circles or producing on the level that would get us noticed. People follow energy. When we see someone loving their lives, themselves and enjoying what they do, we want to know their secret, we want to support them in the way that we would like to one day be supported.

While arm balances, (like the one pictured) come with ease to me, there was time when they did not. These days I passionately work on hand stands and I have yet to conquer them. The other day in class the instructor gave the option to do handstand hops and I immediately started jumping up and down on my hands to see if I could nail it at least one good time. I remember being in class a few years ago and being too afraid of falling or looking silly to even try. In the midst of my enthusiastic attempts to stand on my hands, the instructor ran up to me and caught my legs in the air, gently. She slowly she released me.

And then, in seconds, I was standing on my hands, without using the walls or props. How would I have ever received the help that brought me to that tipping point had I not made enthusiastic attempts at trying, became okay with looking silly and dismissed my fear of falling?

Thoughts become things, but not without inspired action, focus and being surrounded by the right people. Allow others to inspire you to do great things. Belief is the first step and the rest will follow.

Have you started to shift?

Love,

~Jameelah