What do you believe?

It's so nice out this weekend, it finally feels like spring is one its way. I know we still have a few more weeks of snow and cold weather but it is a few days like this that keep us going, knowing that spring will come.

Feeling the sun on my face and going for a walk around the neighbourhood let my mind wonder of the possibilities this year brings. Maybe its the hormones, maybe its the course I have been taking "Design the Best 10 Years" of your life. But it has got me to thinking about how I got here and where I am going.

One of the exercises I have done is to think about childhood experiences and what I learned from them. Did I learn I can do anything? Did I learn because I was a girl I was only suitable to do certain things? Did some of my parents beliefs transfer to me? Some of my grandparents beliefs? Have I let those beliefs guide my decisions? Have I let some of those beliefs hold me back? It has been a very interesting process.

By all accounts I had a great childhood, nothing overly traumatic, lots of love, plenty of fun experiences, lots of lessons. But I was still surprised by some of the beliefs that popped up, some of the thoughts and realizations that became crystal clear "just like that".

Some of the beliefs that are probably responsible for decisions I have made and looked back on and said WHY did I take that path, it will not get me to where I want to go? Why is it taking me sooooo long to get to my destination?

When i took the time to really look at some of these memories and what beleifs they represent, it gave me the opportunity as an adult to look at them and decide if I still believe them.

Deciding that I DO NOT believe some of them anymore has really freed up my way of thinking, allowed me to explore more possibilities with an open mind, without limiting myself.

Here is an example I think alot of people can relate to.

One of my childhood memories involved the age old question, What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanted to work on cars just like my Dad. Almost each adult in my life would respond, "That 's not a job for you , you need to find a nice office job. Working on cars is dirty, not for girls"

Where am I now, working in a nice stable office job, never followed my passion of rebuilding and painting cars, sure I still appreciate a rebuilt car, and going to a car show, but my love for cars and working on them has been lost in years and years of a belief that cars are not for me. That I could not be successful or a "good girl" if I chose this path.

Even at 19 when I got an office job at a car shop, many of those same adults would ask me when I was getting out of that dirty shop and getting a real job?

See what I mean? We don't know any better to reject these beliefs when we are younger, but as we get older, having the opportunity to re-examine these beliefs and what place they have in my life or not has been an empowering experience.

What do you believe? about your life about yourself and where did it come from?

Shannon
:)