She is suffering.
I am suffering.
You are suffering.
We are all suffering.

To even type the above four sentences hurt, and I was just restating what a friend of mine said to me when we were talking about our teen daughters, mine with anorexia, and hers with another serious chronic illness.  Both of our daughters are ballerinas who can no longer perform with their ballet company.  Neither of them may be able to return to dancing.  Both of them dream of dancing professionally.

My friend believes that “we are all suffering” is a fact.
She has created a thought in her mind that she considers to be the absolute truth.
We all do the same thing.  It isn’t intentional, but we do it. We let sentences run rampant in our minds; and these sentences become what we say, what we feel, what we do. These sentences are so embedded in our minds that we accept them as facts.

Get ready:
They are not facts.
I know.
It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?

“We are all suffering” is not a fact.
What good news!
I feel better already, yet nothing has changed.

It is so much easier to see when someone else is doing it.
We listen to someone’s story, and we believe it.
My very same friend could just as convincingly have said:
  • She is growing.
  • I am growing.
  • You are growing.
  • We are all growing.

Or

  • What she is experiencing is perfect for her.
  • What I am experiencing is perfect for me.
  • What you are experiencing is perfect for you.
  • What we are experiencing is perfect for us.

What a difference a sentence makes.

What sentence in your story would you like to rewrite?

I can help you.

Contact me at jenni@peacemealcoach.com to schedule a free 20-minute mini coaching session.