Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: In this personal story from my days as an alpine ski racing coach, I share how one of my athletes struggled with a misalignment between his internal self-image and his external reality. Though physically strong, he mentally still saw himself as weaker than me, creating internal conflict. This story illustrates how we all have areas where our internal beliefs don’t match our external reality, causing problems in our productivity, relationships, and impact.
What?
Back many years ago when I was an alpine ski racing coach, I had a unique relationship with one particular athlete. I knew this young man extremely well – I had him in math class, science class, and then three hours of ski practice. Some days I spent six hours with him – more time than we often get with our own kids!
As this athlete grew from about age 10 to 14-16, something interesting happened. He had followed all the coaching guides and instructions, gotten really buff and strong, and had grown taller than me. But mentally, he had created a division between his internal and external self.
Despite being physically stronger than me, his internal self-image was still that 10-year-old kid who couldn’t match up against his coach. When teasing around before a practice run, I had to finally tell him the truth: “Ian, I want to tell you a little secret. You’re bigger and stronger than I am, and you can take me out anytime you want.” It took him a day or two to fully grasp this revelation, but it changed everything.
Why?
I’m sharing this story because this internal/external misalignment happens to all of us in various ways. Your internal self-image might be completely different from your external reality, causing unnecessary limitations. These misalignments aren’t just minor inconveniences – they create strife, challenges, and interfere with your productivity, relationships, and overall impact on the world around you.
Lesson
When your internal beliefs and external reality aren’t in agreement – when they’re not congruent – you’ll experience conflict that holds you back. For my athlete, his internal self thought “I’m weaker than Brian,” while his external self had the strength and power to overcome that limiting belief. The lesson is simple but profound: identifying and resolving these misalignments can unlock new potential and eliminate unnecessary barriers in your life.
Apply
Take a moment to reflect on where you might have an internal/external misalignment in your own life. Ask your friends, family, and trusted community to help you identify areas where your self-perception doesn’t match reality. Pray about these mismatches, asking God to reveal where these inconsistencies might be hindering you. Once you identify these areas, write them down and consider how addressing them might change your effectiveness.
You be blessed.
Internal/External Alignment: Are You Living With Old Mental Stories?
