Sunflower Falsehoods

Another talented Vocal creator, Marilyn Glover, wrote a beautiful piece on the False Sunflower. It was thought-provoking and made me realize just how much nature can reveal about the human condition. I also realized I wanted to share what I learned about myself as I read her Morning Huddle.

The Common Sunflower is my favorite flower and you need only one look at my kitchen to know it. The False Sunflower, while it borrows the name, is a completely different species. It rarely goes by its alternate names, which is unfortunate, because “False Sunflower” seems so… degrading… to me. It makes it seem as if it will forever be living in the Common Sunflower’s shadow.

“Just as the name "False Sunflower" serves no justice to one of nature's gifts, living a false existence serves no justice to oneself.” ~ Marilyn Glover

In her story, she prompts her readers to ask themselves several questions. After thinking on them for quite some time, I’ve concluded that I’ve been holding onto some false beliefs about myself. I feel like anyone can relate to them and these questions are well-worded to help us dig deep and uncover at least some of those false beliefs.

What is a false belief?

“A false belief is a mental proposition, idea, or understanding that is asserted with confidence but lacks a basis in reality or facts, often persisting despite strong evidence to the contrary.” ~ Google AI Assistant

I had originally decided to share my false beliefs with you but instead determined that I didn’t want them sharing the spotlight with my new, healthier ones, for I’ve purposely changed each false belief into one that better serves my mental and emotional health.

• I believe I have always worked hard within my abilities to succeed in every situation in which I’ve found myself.
• I believe I have always made the right decision based on the circumstances of the time.
• I believe I am surrounded by love and light by people who appreciate and cherish me.
• I believe my unique abilities make an impact in the world and I’ve made a difference in others’ lives.
• I believe my continued growth has led to innumerable blessings and this growth shall continue to improve my life as I work toward my goals.

It is my hope that changing these beliefs will have lasting effects. I intend to write them out each day in my journal like affirmations until thinking them becomes second nature. What do you think of them? Would reframing your negative or false beliefs this way change how you feel about yourself or those around you?

According to Psychology Today:

“You write the story of what you think is likely and/or possible based on what you believe is true and then you take actions consistent with those expectations.”

This means that changing what you believe about yourself, however hard that may be to do, can even change how you behave which can change the outcomes of events in your life. Positive beliefs, in theory, will lead to positive outcomes.

The name of this flower surely got Marilyn thinking about a lot of things and her thought-provoking piece did me as well. I hope that you’ll pop over and give her Morning Huddle a read. Maybe you’ll find it just as inspiring.

This is my first thought piece on Vocal and I’m excited to share my insights with you. I’m also excited that it was inspired by another creator. I hope to continue to write in this community and others as I branch out into new and interesting topics on the platform. I would love to hear your thoughts as I continue to grow as a Vocal creator!