Are your thoughts defining you
Hello,
Today, I’m coming to you with a story that feels very personal—because it taught me a big lesson about how we define ourselves, often without even realising it.
“Pain is inevitable, but suffering? That’s optional.”
A few years back, I had an injury—a persistent, nagging pain that seemed determined to control my every move. It wasn’t life-altering, but it was one of those that digs into your daily life: I couldn’t swim (and if you know me a little you know that swimming keeps me sane!), sit comfortably at my desk, or even sneeze without wincing. I tried every therapy under the sun, but nothing changed.
It felt like my life was shrinking.
Here’s the kicker, though: the injury wasn’t the whole problem.
The real problem was how I kept telling myself, ‘I am injured.’
That tiny shift in language—attaching my identity to the pain—kept me stuck.
I became the injury, and as a result, I limited myself.
I decided to approach the situation differently, and that’s when I brought it to my coaching sessions. When I started working with my coach, she asked me to rephrase it: ‘You have an injury.’
At first, it felt like semantics.
But when I let those words sink in, everything shifted.
It was no longer who I was; it was just something I was dealing with—an obstacle, not a definition.
And when I separated myself from it, I could finally see a path forward. I started approaching it with curiosity, exploring new ways to heal, and gradually, I broke free.
Here’s the thing: how often do we attach our identity to our struggles?
How often do we say:
'I am anxious,’
‘I am stuck,’
‘I am not enough,’
‘I am broke’?
These small words carry a lot of weight.
When we let them define us, we give them control.
But what if, just for a moment, you considered that you have these feelings or situations rather than are them? What might shift for you if you looked at your struggles as experiences to navigate, not identities to claim?
My injury is still there, but my life is so much better now. I have it under control, I live a normal life, and I can push myself physically.
What thought do you need reframing today?
What’s a better way to word your thoughts so they serve you, rather than define you?
Love,
Aitana
