The first time I went to the gym, I felt awkward and out of place. I didn’t know what to do, I felt like everyone was watching me, and I told myself: The gym isn’t for me.
The first time I went to a yoga class, I struggled to touch my toes. I looked around at people folding into poses effortlessly and thought: I’m not flexible, so I can’t be a yogi.
The first time I tried meditation, my mind raced in a hundred different directions. Instead of feeling peaceful, I felt frustrated, so I decided: Mindfulness just doesn’t work for me.
The first time I tried to cook something healthy, I followed a recipe with an ingredient I had never eaten before—quinoa. One bite in, I swore I’d never touch it again, and I concluded: I’m not a healthy eater.
These were the labels I gave myself. Not strong enough. Not flexible enough. Not calm enough. Not disciplined enough. The more I repeated them, the more they felt true. But the truth is, they were just first attempts. Just moments in time, not permanent definitions of who I was or what I was capable of.
How often do we let a single experience define us? One awkward moment, one challenging practice, one unsuccessful meal—and suddenly, we believe that’s just who we are. But growth doesn’t happen in the first attempt. It happens in the showing up, the trying again, the allowing ourselves to be beginners without judgment.
What if instead of saying, I’m not a gym person, you said, I’m learning to move my body in new ways? Instead of I can’t do yoga, you told yourself, I’m building flexibility, one practice at a time? What if mindfulness wasn’t about clearing your mind perfectly, but simply noticing your thoughts without judgment? And what if eating well wasn’t about loving every ingredient but exploring what feels good for your body?
The labels we give ourselves can limit us—or they can empower us. The choice is ours.
