Last week, like most families, we started back to school. I think all of us appreciated the return to our regular routines and responsibilities. As with every transition, some things are familiar and some things are new. This year my youngest daughter has a new teacher whom she met on the first day of school. When she got off the bus on the first day of school we walked home and we chatted while she walked. I heard about her new classmates, the school day, lunch and recess. When I asked about her new teacher, her response was "I think she teaches because it is her job, not because she thinks it's fun." Huh. So noted. I just let that be.
The second day came and went. As we were talking about her day, she mentioned her teacher again but this time with tears in her eyes. She explained that the teacher was really strict and gave a lot of homework. I kindly reminded her that she actually likes strict teachers and just a few nights ago was telling me how much she was looking forward to homework. Then, the real truth came out. There was one sentence that her teacher said and this changed her entire outlook on the classroom, the upcoming year and her teacher. "Apparently, some kids weren't listening so let's go over this again." In my daughter's mind, the emphasis was clearly on the word "apparently".
After telling me of this experience, my daughter then, with a fresh burst of tears said, "Mama, I can't tell if she LIKES me!" And more tears. So of course, after lots of hugs and snuggles with perhaps a treat for good measure, I reached out to the mom of her best friend in the class. I found out that her daughter was absolutely loving the class and the teacher. She didn't have any of the same ideas about the class that my daughter did.
As the days have gone by, my daughter has grown to like her teacher. She's come to understand the way her classroom works and also is no longer afraid of asking a question or being wrong. Is the teacher or situation any different? No, but she's reframed the way she experiences her surroundings.
This story is such a wonderful reminder to me of how we truly do create our realities. And we are all individuals! How many of us have the same experience and tell a completely different story about it? And how, like my daughter, do we create realities in our minds that are scary or limiting? Luckily for us, she was able to shift out of her limiting thoughts quickly. For many of us, those thoughts are the ruts that we keep rolling over and over again.
How do your limiting beliefs impact you in your life? How do your thoughts create the reality that you are currently experiencing? If your thought patterns and limiting beliefs are keeping you in the same rut (even though you promise yourself it will be different) perhaps it's time for a second set of eyes. Let me help you put yourself out of those ruts and on to a new and fresh look.