Perpetuating the Myth

Hiroko is clumsy.

That's what she tells me, anyway. And apparently ever since she was young it was ingrained in her that she was a clumsy girl. So as she grew up, every time something happened that required an "oops!" Clumsy Hiroko was to blame.

At home, in school, at work, on the street, people she knew would reinforce within her, just as she reinforced within herself that she was a clumsy girl.

And on it went until this "I am clumsy" became a part of her, an unchangeable "fact" about Hiroko. (One of the very first things Hiroko ever told me was that she is a clumsy person). So the circle is relentless.

Now every time she bumps into something, drops something, breaks something, hurts herself... She blames it on her clumsy "nature".

"That's just the way I am." Have you ever heard that before? Have you ever used that before? Do you have your own beliefs that might be holding you back but because they are "facts of life" you don't consider changing them?

"That's just the way I am." "I'm a slow reader." "I can't do math". "I can't sing." (<-- that's me, by the way) and more. We all do it. We all have some facts about ourselves that are "us". And that's just the way it is, "god damn it!"

Well the good news is, those facts are not actually written in stone that never wears down. You CAN change your beliefs. You CAN change your "facts". Facts are just a person's perceptions of an incident or occurrence. If it was an infallible truth then 100% of the people would think the same way. But they don't, do they? And that's your first clue that should tell you something is possibly amiss with the way you are thinking.

How many times do we hear, read, see people arguing "to the death" for their point of view, their "facts"? It happens all the time! "I'm right, you're wrong. Your thinking makes no sense; look at the facts! It's so obvious!!! Can't you see? Are you blind?!?"

The truth is everybody is basically blind to everything outside their own belief system. How they see the world is based upon their JBOPPS: Judgements, Beliefs, Opinions, Perceptions, and Prejudices. EVERYONE. Me included.

But we CAN change, we can change the way we see things. We can change our belief system if it no longer benefits us. We don't HAVE to stick to it "until death does part us from it".

Hiroko is clumsy. That's what she tells me. That's what she believes.

On Wednesday evening, on the last step of our home station she stumbled. I've done it. You've probably done it, right? But Hiroko is clumsy, so she tells me. So not only did she stumble, no no no. She twisted her ankle as well. Hey! We've all done that, yes? But because Hiroko is clumsy it went further than that. Yep. The next day at work it was still quite painful and swollen. The doctor offered to X-ray it for her.

It turns out that the force tore the tendon from the bone, and while that was happening it also split a bit of the bone.

So, Hiroko broke her ankle on the last step home.

Perpetuating a myth has more impact than you may realize.

Change those beliefs that no longer suit you. Start today.

I absolutely adore my wife. Im ceazy about her. But no matter how often she tries to convince me; i refuse to buy into The myth. I refuse to perpetuate the myth. Hiroko is NOT clumsy. She had an unfortunate accident, that had nothing to do with a "clumsy nature", because that kind of nature does not exist.

Unless we create that belief within us...

As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can (are), or think you can't (aren't), you're right. "

I love you!

Cam