Written by Tonight during the instructor meeting, my cat Uzume decided she needed to join the Zoom. I chose to introduce her to the attendees after she kept demanding to be the center of attention. I shared that she is named for the Japanese goddess of laughter and joy.
As a kitten, Uzume was very playful. She initially belonged to my son, who wanted to name her Loki. As much as I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Tom Hiddleston, I knew I did not want to invoke Loki’s name every time anyone spoke to this cat. Loki is the Norse god of mischief, and I did not want to be calling him in constantly! So I researched to find a goddess (by that time we learned the cat was a she not a he) whose name would invoke something beautiful. And to find a Japanese goddess that called in laughter and joy was so serendipitous! Uzume makes us smile. She is so fun and loves to play and be petted. The name was perfect for her, and it calls in something much better than mischief!
Our thoughts create our reality. Our words are vibration. When we speak, we are literally manifesting our lives. In the instructor meeting, Sensei Oliver was discussing how some of the kids in one class were lamenting the difficult warm-up exercises another student had chosen. As a fitness instructor, I realize that how I look at the work-out will affect my students. So, rather than complaining about something I don’t like to do or something I find challenging, I say “This is where I have a growth opportunity.” Think about it. It is, logically, the same thing as “I’m not good at something.” Yet can you feel the difference in your body even when you mentally read the words.
I invite you to reflect on where in your life you can begin to rescript any negative self-talk you observe. Be compassionate with yourself, as you may be rewiring decades of habits within your brain. Yet, as we said in my last dojo, “Let’s get 1% better today.” Simply focus on one pattern of self-talk that you will rescript. Allow yourself a few weeks to anchor the habit in, as 2 weeks is considered the minimum amount of time needed. Then step back and see how you speak to yourself and if how you feel about yourself has changed!
That is excellent advice. I often had to redirect my negative thoughts into positive thoughts during the challenge. The mind is a powerful tool. When I thought positive thoughts about something that was difficult for me it helped me get better at what I was working on. It will help when facing a hurdle.