I always thought I was clumsy. When I was a kid, I would
always spill things or drop cups; it was never on purpose, but all of these
actions proved to me that I should be extra careful when handling anything. It
also taught me that there were some things I just shouldn’t pick up.
This belief did some incredible harm when my cousin was born.
Like all babies born into loving families, she was held constantly.
For as long as she was a baby, I never once held my cousin.
I couldn’t bring myself to hold her out of fear that something terrible might
happen.
My cousin is six now and I can see how she is not as close
to me as she is to those who held her. I see it every time her parents have to
tell her to give cousin Jeremy a hug instead of her running to do so like she
does with other relatives.
This is, perhaps, a blessing in disguise since it has shown
me how babies bond and extend love to even peripheral family members. But this
silver lining wouldn’t have been necessary if I had just realized my limiting
belief.
Self-limiting beliefs give us the excuse not to get better. By
saying you’re “not a math person”, yes, you’re probably protected from ever
having to do math again, but you’re also denied the opportunities that come
from being good with numbers.
Like many things, it comes down to cost-benefit. The benefit
of my believing in clumsiness may have been a few spills that didn’t need
cleaning and glasses that didn’t get broken.
But it came at a cost that will never be worth it.
Editor’s
note: I’ve missed you. I’m sorry if this post isn’t as good as the other ones
might have been (keyword there is might). It’s tough getting back into form and
I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me. If you have a topic idea, I’d
love to hear from you! Suggestions can be made in the comments section or on
Twitter @JeremyDeMello.
