The life changing power of writing a list
And make sure you’re putting yourself at the top of your to-do list - every, single day.
I’ve been writing a lot of lists this week - I started with a list of the stressful experiences which I’ve experienced over the last 12-18 months. After all, it makes me human to want to blame someone or something for why I got sick and why I feel shit.
There was 18 items on that list, and most of them weren’t even mine to own, I’d just made them mine. They’d mostly affected my loved ones and family members, with a few shitty work situations thrown into the mix. And reading that list, only a few of them were truly my stresses to navigate. Sigh…
What this showed me was that there’s been too many times in recent and not so recent times where I’ve found it necessary to soothe my people pleasing tendencies by pulling on my sparkly gold hero cape to help others fix their pain and / or the dysfunctional situations they found themselves in.
Image by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
For the people pleasing, empathic, highly sensitive individuals amongst us - you know where I’m coming from. To not help hurts deeply, yet to help can often be a longer and more enduring hurt.
Ironically as is mostly the case, from writing that list there was no one person or situation to blame things on - it was just life as I lived it.
Illness, disease, misfortune, bad luck - they all have their place in teaching us about ourselves, showing us how incredibly strong we are and always leading us forward to where we’re meant to be.
Resistance is futile….
And yes at this stage I could point out it’s how we think about these things which makes the difference - which I know is the right thing to say, but it’s way much harder to do…
Next, I wrote a list of my limiting beliefs based on the different things I’ve been reading and exploring. I wrote down a quick 16 limiting beliefs which came to mind without much thought, and yes there were a few which I had to wrestle onto the page because they felt so uncomfortable to admit to.
Here’s just five of those limiting beliefs and beneath each one is what I’m choosing to replace them with (and I did that for all my 16 limiting beliefs);
🛑 Wealthy people are unhappy people
🍀 I choose to be both wealthy and happy
🛑 To give up my control and go with the flow is to feel unsafe
🍀 I don’t need to have control of a situation to be safe, I’ve got this
🛑 I’m too old to be doing anything random or risky
🍀 My age does not define who I am or what I do, and I am never too old
🛑 I have to do it perfectly, there’s no room for mistakes or failure
🍀 The greatest way for me to learn is from my imperfections and failures
🛑 I have to ensure everyone is physically and emotionally safe
🍀 It is not my responsibility to make sure everyone is safe, only myself.
Next was the list of transformational moments in my life, including what I’ve learnt from them, how I think and feel about them, and best yet how I’d prefer to think and feel about them (which I shared in my first Words for Wellness newsletter last week)
And last but not least was my list for what I’m choosing to invite into my life, the following;
🌻 I wake up to no alarms, I start my day drinking almond chai in nature and watching the sun rise. I’m writing in my journal about what’s going on in my head, in my heart and in my life. The good stuff and the bad stuff because that’s what life is about, experiencing and learning life lessons.
🌻 My days are spent writing, connecting with others, making a difference in my community and creating words which help people connect with their inner magic and realise their dreams.
🌻 I go where I want, when I want and how I want. No restrictions, no rules, no obligations other than those I choose to create.
🌻 Travel is possible because I’ve created a lifestyle that is portable, sustainable and which meets my needs.
🌻 And when I’m not travelling, then home is in the hills surrounded by nature, doing more of the above. In a cottage that is warm, welcoming and uncluttered.
I’ve discovered that even when we’re feeling challenged and overwhelmed, tired and unwell there’s always something or someone who gives us a reason to keep smiling. Find that person, or that moment and hold it (or them) close to your heart - and be sure to write your own damn lists.
Keep smiling, Fi 🌻