Arguing for Our Possibilities

The internet is filled with wisdom these days, as well as lots of chaos, conflict, and misinformation. Sometimes, the wisdom catches my attention and makes a difference in my life. Today, I want to share how and why I’ve revised one astute nugget.

The quote is attributed online to Evelyn Waugh, Kelly Lee Phipps, Richard Bach, Jim Kwik, and others. (Take your pick!) It goes something like this: “Argue for your limitations, and you get to keep them.” It basically makes the point that what we focus on, our brain retains.

Here’s my reworking: “When I argue for my possibilities, I get to keep them.” I’ve done this reframing for several reasons. First, I work hard on staying positive. It’s part of how I’ve learned to avoid depression over the decades. Second, if my brain hears something and retains it, then I want to give it possibilities, not limitations. Third, it reminds me that there are myriad opportunities in the world, and it’s up to me to seek them out and discern which to claim.

As I have noted before, God is profligate with seeds, raindrops, snowflakes, and so much else in creation. Life is filled with possibilities. When I meet with people in spiritual guidance, I sometimes get to help them shift from seeing limitations to embracing possibilities. When I travel across this great country, I see so much abundance and imagine so many opportunities.

In what ways do you habitually argue for your limitations? Perhaps you find yourself saying, “I can’t do that anymore” or “I could never do what she’s doing.” Brain scientists tell us that saying such things makes them come true. Our brains create our reality.

So, what would it take to turn that around? What would it mean to say, “I could do what she’s doing”? Perhaps, faced with that possibility becoming real, we realize that we don’t want to do what she’s doing. Instead, what we really want is something else.

I’ve been a solopreneur for a dozen years now. I had always thought I couldn’t do it—until circumstances (and Spirit?) forced me there. I had to overcome a lot of limitational thinking. Now, I can’t imagine going back to working for an organization. And yes, I write that intentionally—and positively. It is a reality I am claiming, because staying self-employed opens the doors to so many more possibilities.

What possibilities do you want or need to argue for? What new language would you like to claim?