“I believe I can fly,” by Robert S. Kelly is the perfect New Year's song . . .
If I can see it, then I can do it -- If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
I believe I can fly . I believe I can touch the sky. I think about it every night and day . Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar. I see me running through that open door. I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly
People tell me they can't do yoga because they're not flexible. We preclude ourselves from so many opportunities simply because we tell ourselves we can't. We don't sing because we can't keep a tune; we don't draw because we can't do more than doodle a stick figure – we don't because we won't. Just changing one small word “can't” to “won't” can forever change our way of thinking and behaving. Just recognizing what we say to ourselves brings awareness for embracing our true potential and for becoming the conscious, unique creators we're meant to become.
We are all creators made in the likeness of our Creator. We possess everything within us to create whatever we so desire. We only need to imagine what we want, believe not only that we will achieve but that we have already achieved. Antoinette Spurrier in Creativity and Abundance says, whether we experience its presence or not, the seed of creativity is within. It is part of the cosmic energy of the universe itself, and thus the very origin of our divine nature.
We are energy. Our thoughts are energy. We send and receive energy constantly – hundreds of thoughts daily – actually 60,000 thoughts a day! What we think, we become. What is sent out to others boomerangs back to the sender.
Our mind chatter is incessant; It's such natural activity that we may not even realize what we are saying to ourselves. If you take time to notice, you will discover patterns or repeated thoughts that replay. Most of the time these thoughts, I'm not pretty enough, smart enough, rich enough, athletic enough, young enough, thin enough are negative and self defeating. Beliefs or thought patterns get conditioned and engrained from an early age. Many of our mistaken beliefs come from messages we receive from parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and our culture.
I wince as I think back to the time when my now nineteen-year-old son Gregory was in kindergarten. I was working with him on homework when he suddenly burst into tears. He uncovered a drawing that his “Catholic” school teacher evaluated as immature, childlike, and not good enough. Stinging words for a little kid. Young kids look up to their teachers and their pliable self concepts are highly susceptible to praise and criticism. Most of us work hard and want to please. We all want to feel appreciated. But criticism, so thoughtlessly relegated, is much harder to shake and the damage resonates, penetrating harshly into one's psyche, embedding itself deeply into the soul.
Good News! It's never too late to undo the damage that has resulted from our remembering hurtful, discouraging messages from the people we love, respect, and trust. While our personalities are largely formed by what others tell us about ourselves, as we trust their words as truth, believing others shortchanges ourselves from realizing our inner muse; from owning our uniqueness, from identifying our gifts that the world so desperately needs.
Many creative geniuses have failed miserably only to succeed through hard work and the intense will to overcome inferiority. Walt Disney, the icon of theme parks and movies, was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Charles Darwin was chastised by his father for being lazy and too dreamy and he himself wrote “I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect.” Teachers told Thomas Edison he was “too stupid to learn anything” and the artistic elite mocked and rejected Monet. Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance by manger Jimmy Denny of the Grand Ole Opry and was told, “You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivn' a truck.” Lauded as one of basketball's best, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Babe Ruth, along with his home run record of 714 during his career, had 1,330 strikeouts. When asked about his strikeout record he simply said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Undaunted and unwilling to give in to fear, these great historical achievers had the courage to surmount self-doubt in order to try new things and face vulnerabilities. They were willing risk it all in search of new adventures -- to be willing to thrive in uncertainty rather than slowly die in the safe confines of certainty.
In this New Year of 2017 do you want to play it safe or do you want more? Are you longing to find unique expression? It's in each of us -- we're meant to do it while we're here on earth. Once we feel worthy, we can let go of the blame, release our war stories, lick our wounds and find our voice. To do so, we must make time for ourselves -- quiet time -- daily -- through whatever method brings us joy, calm, peace -- back to center – walking, painting, mindful breathing, yoga, writing, fishing – we need time to escape to access the self.
Whatever way we choose, commitment to daily ritual is key. Commitment along with mindful intention will allow imagination and innovation to blossom. A determined mind will achieve. With stillness and allowance true expression can breathe new life.
Focused intention and consistent practice will create new grooves for replacing old ways of thinking and behaving and for trusting intuition, using it for guidance, for making dreams become reality.
Self trust aligns us with our power -- our power to focus and to visually create whatever we desire. Deliberate creation is what 2017 is all about.
Intend, visualize, and bring about the magic.
If you believe you can fly, take flight, and soar!
“but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
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