When I was 8, a classmate told me I sucked at sports.

At that age, I hardly knew what sports were and yet her words stung. This insult seeped into the recesses of my body and mind and, for years, became a broken record I heard in my ears over and over again.

It’s likely I missed out on a lot of cool activities because I’d been programmed to believe that I lacked athletic prowess.

It wasn’t until 8th grade that I found enough courage to turn down the volume on my inner turntable and give soccer a try. I wasn’t a natural and had to work hard to learn the essentials of the game.

Lack of innate skills aside, what I did possess was a fierce commitment to showing up and doing the work. I devoted long summer afternoons to kicking around with a friend and running to improve my endurance and speed. Over time, I became a decent player and embraced the beautiful game with love.

The moment I decided to throw away the broken record was the moment things shifted for me. As I’ve aged, I’ve seen time and again that one of the chief ways I block abundance, pleasure, and connection from flowing my way is my own unsavory self-talk.

Who told you that you were not enough?

When did you begin to believe that you don’t deserve the good things in life?

Are you still listening to those sad songs?

Rob Dial, host of The Mindset Mentor podcast, recently aired an episode about changing our story. In short, he said that “...when we become aware of the story we are telling ourselves, we can rewrite the story. When we change the story we tell ourselves, we change our identity. When we change our identity, we take actions that align with who we want to be and where we want to go in life. Our results will always line up with our identity.”

If your joy, happiness, and forward momentum are being sabotaged by stinkin’ thinkin’, is it time to lift the needle over the scratch on the vinyl and listen to new lyrics?

I’m done being tormented by broken records. Are you?

Xoxo,

Jennifer (she/her)

P.S.: NEW Group Gentle Yoga Class Starts August 26!! I'd love to see you there!