Over the last 4 weeks we’ve covered five lies:
Lie #1: I don’t have time
Lie #2: I can’t afford it
Lie #3: It’s not in my budget
Lie #4: I need to think about it
Lie #5: I can do it myself
These lies keep us safe. They keep us places in places we’re familiar and comfortable with. Even if they’re frustrating places we know what to expect and changing something takes us to the unknown, which can be scary.
The first three lies are really choices about how to spend our time and money. Instead of saying I don’t have time, I can’t afford it or it’s not in my budget try on: I’m choosing to spend my time elsewhere, I’m choosing not to spend my time on that, I’m choosing not to spend the money on that, or I’m choosing not to budget money for that.
Choice is powerful. Take responsibility for your choices (and your time and money).
The last two lies are a bit trickier. Sometimes you legitimately do need to think about it or can do it yourself. I remember someone saying that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should be the one doing it.
The same thing can be said for making decisions sometimes. Yes, you can spend the extra time and energy weighing the pros and cons, but if you know the answer in your gut, then go with it. (yep, that can be scary!)
And many times the lies show up together.
For example, I want to say yes to something, but it’s pushing up against my comfort zone – so I tell them it’s not in my budget or I tell myself that I’ll figure it out on my own and save myself a little bit of money (and ignore the huge investment of time).
In the comments from the previous post Mary made an important point “We all have things we’re stubborn about.” I think that can be said for any of the “lies.”
Sometimes we’re stubborn about how we spend our time and money. Sometimes we’re stubborn about wanting to do it ourselves. And sometimes those things lead us to dig in our heals and want time to think about something we already know the answer to.
So, have any of these lies showed up for you over the past weeks? Or maybe you’ve seen them reflected in somewhere else?
Share your thoughts and observations in the comments here.