SundayI had the opportunity to take my two girls shopping for some new clothes. They've both hit a growth spurt and were in need of a few new items.

 

To me, it's a privilege to watch them develop their own unique sense of style and to give them the freedom to express themselves authentically (within a few modesty rules, of course!).

 

When I was growing up, we often received hand-me-downs from the two older daughters of a friend of my mom's.

The clothes were perfectly fine. They were in good condition and, from our perspective, they were "new." But they weren't necessarily clothes I would have chosen for myself. After all, they had been handed down to us.

 

As I was thinking about the idea of hand-me-downs, it struck me that there are many things in life that are handed down.

Beliefs, for example.

 

Many of the beliefs we carry are handed down through things people say to us, experiences we've had, and the way we've learned to make sense of the world. Perhaps someone once told you that you weren't good at maths. You started believing it. You stopped putting your hand up in class, dreaded maths homework, and eventually earned the marks that seemed to confirm the belief.

Or maybe you were bullied by a group of girls at school, and to this day you struggle with confidence and self-worth around other women. Perhaps friendships feel difficult, and loneliness has become a familiar companion.

 

The examples are endless. You'll have your own version.

 

So it makes me wonder: what hand-me-down beliefs are you carrying?

What are the stories, words, and assumptions you repeat to yourself without even thinking about it? Who first introduced those ideas? Where did they come from?

 

And perhaps most importantly, are they helping you move forward, or are they keeping you tied to the past?

 

What would happen if you spent a few minutes sitting with those beliefs? Write them down. Read them carefully.

Then ask yourself: Is this really true?

And if it isn't, are you willing to let it go?

 

Are you willing to consider what might be possible if the opposite were true?

 

Who would you be then?