Stripping back the layers.

Hello, My Friends

This week hubby and I have been busy getting the dining room ready to be renovated. Stripping wallpaper is very like creating a new life. As I was stripping the wall paper, it occurred to me that my life is very much like the wallpaper on the wall.

I can see the vision, and get excited about the vision of the new improved space, I am a recovering doer, my default attitude was I want it all, and I wanted it right now. I would begin without planning like a bull at a gate, and be disappointed when the project didn’t go as I saw it in my mind.

Now I am more measured, with my time and my planning.

With enthusiasm I began ripping the old paper off the wall. The vinyl paper peels off easily, in one complete layer, from the bottom to the top. It is easy to remove, and easy to get rid of.

This is a bit like beginning to work on your brain, having learned that thoughts change everything, you jump in and begin sorting thoughts into piles, ‘good’ thoughts and ‘bad’ thoughts, and a third pile of I don’t know about those thoughts pile.

You notice so much of your growth rate is off the chart. It is easy, just like removing the vinyl layer of the wallpaper.

Then, you notice the backing paper on the wall, for a micro minute you contemplate leaving the paper on the wall and putting the new paper over the top, before realizing there are more layers underneath the backing paper.

That’s when the realization sets in that this job is going to take a while.

It’s the same with our brain, once the thought idea sinks in and we begin to see the layers of how our thinking is affecting every thing we do, everything we say, the way we feel, the way we dress, the way we eat, the way we earn, the way we seek attention, we realize our thoughts affect e-v-e-r-y situation we are currently experiencing in our lives.

The realization that this, thoughts business is not going to be a quick fix sinks into our being.

Like the layers of wall paper, you begin in one area, steaming or soaking the paper to loosen the glue, then you painstakingly strip off each layer. Some of the strips come away easily, with soaking and a spatula, other pieces need more soaking and more determined fingers, picking at the fingernail size pieces that float to the floor, creating a huge mess everywhere you walk.

So it is with our thought lives. By choosing one particular area to begin with, we can focus our attention. However what usually happens is we haven’t yet figured out the need for a controlled plan, and we run around like a child in a toy store, looking at every area and touching on all the things we want to upgrade, or up-level, and find we are getting nowhere except tired and disgruntled, feeling overwhelmed and wanting to quit even before we have begun.

As we learn more, we discover that it is wisest to begin on one area in our lives that we want to gain mastery over. I recommend finding one area that is creating havoc in your life and begin working with your thoughts around that. It could be personal well-being, like healthy eating, moving your body in ways that bring you pleasure, and creating daily rituals and habits that support rest, harmony and orderliness. You may choose a financial area, like beginning to see how much abundance you already have in your life, creating a shift in your career, deciding to manage the money you already have in a way that generates wealth. Maybe you want to have better relationships, like valuing yourself a little more, learning better ways to be comfortable in social settings, putting in boundaries around what is acceptable behaviour to you in your friendships, or maybe it’s an improvement in your romantic relationship, or with your family. You might be tired of living in a space that doesn’t feel like home, and want to move, or declutter, or improve your environment, upgrade the spaces you spend the most time in.

Whatever you decide, pick only one area to begin with. Begin to figure out what you like and what you don’t.

As with the wallpapering, it is wise to begin in one room and commence in one spot and work out from there. Tidying and cleaning as you go. By being diligent in stripping away the old- getting rid of it and keeping your work space orderly you make the job easier, less mess being walked through the rest of the house.

It is the same with your brain, your brain functions better when it is orderly, as you learn how to clear up your thinking around one area, it will spill over into other areas. How we do one thing, is how we do everything. Remember to not get overwhelmed, keep focusing on the area you are working on, and little by little the old habits of thought will be renewed with new habits of thinking. Keep chipping away at replacing thoughts that don’t serve you with thoughts that do serve you.

Thoughts like, I can do this.

I was made for this.

I get to choose what I want to think. I want to think the Universe has my back.

Everything is always working out for me.

These thoughts will help you to train your brain to believe that you can do what you want.

Remember a belief is a thought that has been repeated over and over until it has become a default habit. And Beliefs can be powerful, so choose your beliefs wisely.

Until next time, let’s strip off the layers of unhelpful beliefs to reveal what we want to have in our lives.

oxoxo Linda

As a certified Life Coach, I help you to help yourself, so you can create a well lived life your way. 

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