I was thinking today about all the phrases we use in our daily lives that bog us down. Those little sentences and thoughts that seem so innocuous but also important:
- Some day when…
- I can’t…
- I don’t know how…
- I’m not sure…
- I would like to…
- I wish…
Whenever we chew on these thoughts, we are investing in their truth. We are allowing ourselves to believe that there will be a day when….or that our abilities are limited…or that there are things we want to do but aren’t doing. Lastly, when we start a thought or a statement with “I wish…” we are arguing with our reality and lamenting our circumstances.
What good is it to think “I wish…”? Has that wish ever come true simply by wishing it?
Dreams don’t come true simply because we release them into the universe. Dreams come true because we choose to stop wishing and relinquishing our control. Dreams come true because we stop wishing and start acting.
And I’m not talking about grand banana dreams here, either. I’m not talking about wishing for world peace. I’m talking about wishing that our day-to-day lives would be different.
I wish my boss would treat me differently.
I wish I enjoyed my job more.
I wish I made more money.
THOSE types of little, every day wishes are toxic.
When we allow ourselves to daydream about how we “wish” our lives were different, we are implicitly giving up all of our power. We are suggesting that the only way our circumstances could be different is if a fairy godmother plucks our wishes out of the ether and makes them happen for us.
“I wish” statements are not powerful. They are weak.
They suggest that there is nothing to be done other than sit around and wait for our wish to be granted by a benevolent god.
It’s like that parable of the lottery ticket.
A man prays to god repeatedly and hopefully, asking god from the bottom of his heart to let him win the lottery. He offers that prayer every day for years and years on end. He never lost hope or faith that it would be answered and every day he humbly submitted his request. Every day, his prayer went unanswered and the man died poor and alone. When he met his god in the afterlife, he asked god why all of his prayers went unanswered and god replied “You never bought a lottery ticket.”
The point is this: we play a role in our dreams coming true.
We cannot simply offer up our wishes to the universe and sit back and wait for them to come true.
We have to act. We have to invest in our dreams.
Wasting your energy wishing that things in your life were different is living the life of the man in the parable. It offers the universe the energy of lack and dissatisfaction with life and that energy will only attract more lack and dissatisfaction.
When you start taking action to make your wishes reality, it requires a shift in perception. All those wishful thoughts become something much more active and invested —
I’m creating the life I want
I can take steps to improve my work life
I can improve my relationship with my boss
I can take action to be happier every day
These thoughts are powerful and take ownership over your life. Those thoughts will propel you to start taking action to convert those wishes to reality. Rather than living in a space of lack and dissatisfaction, your energy transforms into positivity and faith in your ability. This allows so much more positive energy to enter your life. And who knows, your wishes just might come true.
You have to start investing in those wishes yourself before you can expect the universe or god to partner with you to make them come true.
When you find yourself wishing that your life were different, it can be difficult to turn the corner. It’s easy to exist in wishful thinking; it’s hard to take ownership and start taking action. Sometimes all you need is a little support. Don’t be afraid to ask. (Psst, it’s free.)
Photo by Fineas Gavre on Unsplash
