How would you like to feel this week? Energised? Hopeful? Motivated? Productive? At peace? Calm? Serene?

How do you see yourself? Do you identify with seeing yourself as ‘depressed’? How about as ‘tired’?  ‘Old’? ‘Young’? ‘Talented’? ‘Past it’? ‘Full of potential’?

All these identities are backed up by a root-system of beliefs – many of which may never have been dug up, examined or challenged. Any belief that is unhelpful is often called a Bias. The most famous type of Bias is a ‘Confirmation Bias’ – the situation where you believe something and you consciously or (more often) unconsciously become biased towards information that supports your position. More than this, you will also discount or ignore information that contradicts your position!

Breaking free from any unhelpful way of seeing ourselves requires opening up to content that contradicts our beliefs.

Tired? Have there been times over the last week when you felt energised, enthusiastic, or inspired? Have there been times when you’ve shown yourself to be full of energy? How could you set yourself up for more of these moments?

Depressed? How much pleasure have you taken over the last week in any memory, meeting, or sensory stimulus (food, art, music, tv, nature)?

Old? In which ways have you behaved like a younger version of you this week? For example, I went skipping with one of my granddaughters (if not for long!)

Our mission, today, is to be ‘Joyfully Inconsistent’ with any belief or identity that is holding us back. If we can find evidence that our negative or limiting beliefs are not 100% true 100% of the time, we will do well. You and I can be joyfully inconsistent with our behaviours too – consciously. For example, if we believe we are tired, we could exercise as if we have energy to spare. We can do the opposite to what we believe (where this causes no harm to ourselves or others) and simply notice what happens.

Perhaps the unchallenged life isn’t worth living as much as a life full of graceful, gently challenging steps and stretches.

Lex

A Moodscope member