Thought Shift Thursday – Episode 42

Questioning the Beliefs We Carry

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to Thought Shift Thursday, episode 42.

Back in episode 28, Redefining Success, we talked about changing the way we define success.

And in episode 40, The Changes We Don't See Coming, I talked about how growth and change can happen so slowly that we don't always notice it while it is happening.

Today, I want to take that thought one step further.

Today's thought shift isn't about changing who you are. It's about questioning a belief that was never yours to carry in the first place.

The Beliefs We Grow Up With

For much of my life, I struggled with the way I looked.

I believed the negative things people said about my hair.

I questioned whether I was smart enough.

I heard that I wasn't trying hard enough.

I heard that I was lazy.

And when you hear those kinds of messages over and over, it can be easy to start believing them.

For me, being told that I wasn't trying hard enough also led to a lot of perfectionism. I felt like everything had to be perfect.

I believed I had to work harder, do more, and get everything just right to prove that I was trying hard enough.

For a good portion of my life, that perfectionism affected the way I showed up.

I'm much better now at letting some of that go, but it was something I had to work on.

It didn't change overnight.

That is one of the reasons it is so important to pay attention to the things we believe about ourselves.

Messages Many Adults with ADHD Hear

Many adults with ADHD have heard messages like:

• "You're lazy."
• "You just need to try harder."
• "If you cared, you would remember."
• "You're just making excuses."

When you hear the same messages again and again, they can start to feel true simply because they have become familiar.

But hearing something many times does not make it true.

Look for the Proof

So today, I want you to look at your own life and ask yourself:

"What proof do I have that this belief is true?"

Then ask another question:

"What proof do I have that it may not be true?"

If someone told you that you were lazy, look at your life.

What have you accomplished?

What responsibilities have you carried?

What have you kept showing up for?

What have you finished?

What difficult seasons have you made it through?

What have you kept trying, even when it was hard?

That's proof, too.

One Struggle Doesn't Define You

Maybe there is a small piece of truth in the belief.

Maybe you do forget things sometimes.

Maybe you have a hard time getting started.

Maybe you leave things until the last minute.

But forgetting something does not mean you do not care.

Having a hard time getting started does not mean you are lazy.

One part of your life does not get to define all of who you are.

The Way You See Yourself Matters

The way you see yourself matters.

What you believe about yourself can affect:

• The choices you make.
• The opportunities you go after.
• The way you speak to yourself.
• The way you show up in everyday life.

For me, one of the biggest shifts came through my faith.

Instead of letting other people's words define my worth, I started asking a different question:

"What does God say about who I am?"

That doesn't mean the old thoughts never come back.

It means I have learned to question them.

Reflection Questions

So today, I want to leave you with a few questions.

• What do you believe about yourself?
• Where did that belief come from?
• What proof do you have that it is true?
• What proof do you have that it may not be true?
• Whose voice are you choosing to believe?

Closing Thought

Today's thought shift isn't about changing who you are. It's about questioning a belief that was never yours to carry in the first place.

Thank you for spending a little bit of your day with me.

Until next time, I will see you for Faith Friday.

Until then, I hope today's thought helps you create a little more clarity, feel a little more calm, and have a little more confidence. 💜💚