Whether you think you can or think you can’t — you’re right.
Henry Ford
It may sound like “woo” stuff, but it’s true.
Our beliefs aren’t limited to the realm of our mind. They directly influence the physical capacity of our bodies.
Your memories, thoughts, and visions don’t just live in your mind. They also take residence in your body.
The voices in your head aren’t confined to your mind. They dictate how your body functions.
Your body holds the stories of your mind. It hold all the things that other people have told you about yourself.
It stores your traumas, and the warnings of caution from when you were a child on the playground.
How you move — whether in a workout or through life — is not just a function of biomechanics. It’s also a function of your thoughts, beliefs, expectations, emotions, and conditioning.
The nervous system is designed to be self-protecting.
If you were conditioned to believe that you can’t or shouldn’t do certain types of activities because “you’ll get hurt,” or that “sensations” during movement are a signal that “something is wrong,” you’ll stop yourself from doing those things.
You may not stop yourself consciously. It’s simply your nervous system doing its job: keeping you out of pain or discomfort.
In the context of physical movement, you may find yourself fatigued, suddenly getting “tight,” or simply unable to move. The body will tell you it’s at its limit.
In the context of your work, you might find yourself feeling exhausted, getting sick, doubting yourself, or falling into perfectionism or overwhelm, or getting busy with other things.
These may feel like real physical limitations.
But they are limitations of the mind.
What you believe has a profound impact on your ability and capacity.
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