My First Risky Decision

I’m guilty of a phrase. I use it so often it’s become a mantra in a way. It’s not something I want as a mantra, because every time I place it before a a statements it undermines me. It’s an insidious way to put myself down. To make me less.

I can’t blame the phrase. It’s innocent.  In the grand scheme it’s ok to express that you have uncertain about an idea, fact, or even feeling. Matter fact admitting that you aren’t certain can be very humbling and sometimes life changing.

Yet 90 percent of time I used the phrase with false modesty. I denounced false modesty almost a year ago and my subconscious rebelled.

So what is the phrase?

I think

Simple, right?

But, I think revising is truly a mindset.

I don’t think it, I believe it. It’s true for me. I know my reluctance to just say this is what I believe has everything to do with my discomfort of forcing my ideas on someone else. What if I’m wrong? If how I hate being wrong was water it’d be the size of the Pacific. No, I’m not a know-it all. Really. I hate feeling stupid. Something probably happened when I was a kid and it stayed with me. I’m more than sure it’s been reinforced, (*cue psychobabble*) because I want it to be reinforced. Believing I don’t know anything keeps me from doing the really scary things–like things that would crush me if I don’t succeed.

I think is such a small phrase, but when I use it I’m telling myself I’m stupid.

A stretch right?

But, I’m stupid to believe revising is a mindset.

Yeah.

So first order of risky decisions this year, I’m cutting out I think from my vocabulary. I’ll use some other words or phrase to explain my uncertainty when I’m actually uncertain. That way I’ll have to assess (ha) the why.

What words or phrases are you willing to cut?