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“You have what it takes.”

“You have what it takes.” This was the message a soft-spoken woman spoke into the silence at one of the Quaker Meetings I attended many weeks ago.
At the time, I had no idea what an impact this simple phrase would have on my life in the following weeks.
After the meeting, as I waited on the cold city corner for my bus ride home, I felt this simple message, following me.
“You have what it takes”
It sat next to me on the bus.
It followed me home.
It walked through my front door with me.
It became clear that this phrase and I needed to spend some time together.
The next day, we were full-on flirting with each other.
Following my intuition, I wrote it on a purple post-it and put it on my desk in my office.
Then I made another purple post-it and put it on my bathroom mirror so I’d see it every time I was in there.
For the power of 3, I made another purple post-it and put it on my refrigerator door.
In doing this, I made a clear decision to start playing with it… to start believing it.
Now you might be thinking, “wait a second, Jessica. Don’t you believe this already? I mean just look at your life and everything you’ve created!… freedom from binge eating, a thriving business, a quality and supportive marriage. Isn’t this the air you already breathe?”
I know. Honestly, before I chose to wallpaper my home in purple post-its that say “I have what it takes”, I looked deeply at where, when, and most of all, why I had disconnected from believing in myself.
Why did I believe it sometimes… but not all the time? Especially when I needed it the most?
From that self-inquiry, I saw that my past relationship with “you have what it takes” was conditional. In my reflection, I saw how it was easier to believe when I had accomplished something when the challenge was over.
But when I was in the midst of the hard, completely surrounded by the fog of the unknown, and fantasizing about giving up (or worse, forgetting why I started in the first place)… I could not hear, let alone believe, that I could overcome.
From there, I clearly saw how life-changing it would be for me to believe that I have what it takes no matter what is going on in my world.
So, I chose to change. (After I journaled and cried to my husband, of course.)
The next day, my post-its were there to help me anchor into this new thinking so it could ripple out into a new way of being.
“I have what it takes” was the first thing I saw in the morning.
At night, I would reflect on experiences where having my “I have what it takes mindset” impacted me. I’d record these in my notebook like a mad scientist.
I stayed with these simple practices for days. Then, weeks.
But I felt the results immediately.
My energy doubled.
My body lightened.
I am sleeping better than ever.
I’m more creative.
A lot less cranky.
I’m taking risks every dang day.
There’s a lot less hemming and hawing.
And I’m chipping away at things in all aspects of my life that once felt impossible.
But the best part is the whole new level of peace and happiness I’m feeling daily.
So I’m paying it forward to you because you deserve to feel this good too.
You have what it takes.
If you sense you need to remember this when the going gets tough, write it down.
Play with it. Move into action with it.
Whatever little effort you put into staying connected to it, the payoff will be exponential. I speak from experience.
Because life isn’t getting any easier.
So start believing, and then embodying, that you have what it takes.
I believe in you.
In service to your freedom,

P.S. At one point I made a 4th post-it and put it in one of the most powerful places… my lunchbox. Do not underestimate what goes through your mind as you eat. Just a loving reminder that you can write yourself a lunchbox love note if you choose. You have what it takes. 😉

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