What happens to the energy inside you when what is hard becomes simply what is new?

The pep-talk like mantra that I’ve been borrowing from author Glennon Doyle, “I can do hard things” has recently become “I can do new things.”

Do you feel the difference in energy between these phrases, or is it just me?

I totally feel it. This one, simple word swap takes the hard edge off and adds neutrality so I can flip my momentum towards ease. Language choices have a massive impact on my vibe.

“Not eating sugar is hard” suddenly became “not eating sugar is new.”

I mean, walking by the bakery in the grocery store without getting a sweet treat is totally new for me. And if I can remember to shop after I’ve eaten, then there’s absolutely no room in my body for a donut anyway.

The main idea behind this new food regime is that, after sticking to the Autoimmune Protocol Diet for several months, my gut lining will heal and I won’t suffer from inflammation when I eat certain foods. Sugar and processed foods are in my future again, I’m sure. And by the time I’m finished with this diet, I’ll no longer be addicted to them. I imagine myself still eating mostly fruits and veggies and then enjoying other types of foods in moderation, which will be entirely new.

New, new, new.

Hold up.

I wanna add a caveat here:

In my experience, a word replacement does not work at all if I’ve been denying how challenging something is and haven’t yet directly faced that particular obstacle on all levels of my being - mental, physical, and energetic/spiritual. Fake positivity is only spinning my wheels and gets me nowhere.

There’s great value in admitting the struggle. Ya know...be fully authentic, feel my vulnerability, and acknowledge the pain. Then I can have a good cry, or a scream, or a trampoline session. Or, for efficiency’s sake, a screaming, crying, trampoline session.

Therapy has been another great place to be 100% honest and to find emotional release. I do what I gotta do to get the stuckness out of my body, mind, and spirit. And after letting it go, I have enough space to alter my thoughts and behaviors and shift the direction of the situation.

There’s so much power in truth telling. It’s scary to do when you’ve been conditioned to keep up appearances, but, holy crap, is it worth it.

Once I have the courage to fully face an inner conflict, I’m primed for peppy word replacements and the free flowing energy that comes with ‘em.

So, here’s to another day full of interesting, new experiences for us all. Have a good one!

You can find more from Dana at: www.danabergstrom.com