5 Phrases that can change your life – Part 1

Will they change yours?

Have you ever re-read a book, re-watched a movie or re-watched a seminar and saw something or picked up something you didn’t the first time? It happens to me all the time. I think this happens because I am a different person the second time around and see things differently. I also think it happens sometimes because I am ready to learn something new.

Recently, while looking through my notebooks, I was reminded of a Ted Talk I was introduced to by a speaker at a conference three years ago. The Ted Talk shared 5 phrases that could change your life! I was attending that conference because I wanted to change my life and I took great interest in these 5 phrases. The Ted Talk was from Adam Braun, the founder and CEO of Pencils of Promise. A non-profit organization that is building schools around the world.

As I looked at my notes, I realized how much I have changed and how different I see the 5 phrases now. However, I still find them very relevant and want to share the phrases and my thoughts with you.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Those that make the biggest change do so in periods of struggle, not in periods of compliancy.

I agree with this and likely it is a good guiding phrase. I have found that I have experienced the most significant growth when I get out of my comfort zone. Whether it be making huge career changes or digging deep into myself and finding parts of me I need to face to become the best version of myself. Every time I push my boundaries I grow.

With everything that we are experiencing right now, we are all undergoing extraordinary growth and change.
Challenge your assumptions so you can uncover your truths

Adam believes that each of us has a truth inside us. These truths are internal and they come from our heart or soul. These truths are different for each of us.

He believes that these truths cannot be seen until we break down the assumptions that we have been taught from society. For example, finish school, get a job. Have a spouse and have 2.5 children. These assumptions are not always the way. So when we break down the assumptions we can allow our truths to speak to us.

Interesting… How many of us don’t follow our dreams or our passions because it isn’t “traditional”? How many of us have done what is “safe” vs what we always dreamed of? How many of us have been influenced by our parent’s dreams?

I know I am not traditional. I don’t have kids and both my husband and I are entrepreneurs. However, it took a long time for me to hear my path. I originally started out with a very safe, traditional job. I planned on living a very safe life. The thing is our truths have a way of bubbling to the surface. Eventually, I did drop some assumptions and started to follow my truth.

Are you listening to your truth?
Speak in the language of the person you wish to become

As he educated himself on how to manage successful companies, he got worried that he was losing focus on his life purpose. So he started to speak about his future as a part of who he was today. He would talk about who he was going to become and what he was going to do.

I think when we start to act like the person we want to become, we start to move in the direction to make it true. If you want to have a nice house, start to make the space you live in today nice: tidy, purge, paint etc. Small actions lead to big things.

He started by opening a bank account with $25 dollars.

It starts by defining or having a vision of who you want to become or where you want to go. It starts with dreaming!

What will you do to start to speak in the language of the person you wish to become?

What do you think of the first three phrases? Even though I’ve grown so much since the first time I heard the speech I still think they are really good phrases and ones I needed to hear again.

I look forward to sharing the last two with you next week.

“You were put on this earth to acheive your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.”
Dr. Steve Maraboli