In the past few years, I have learned that in order to live a joyful, balanced, meaningful and prosperous life, we must really take inspired action and many times, even do things differently so we can see different results.
And even though all of this is great, and we may see improvements in our life, we might still feel frustrated or anxious around certain areas of our life. But the truth is that sometimes trying to fix the external factors is not really the answer, since we might end up blaming others or our current circumstances for the results we’re getting.
I’ve discovered, that many times, it’s just us getting in our own way…and in this case, all the answers lie within. The truth is that our external results are merely a mirror of our internal truth and self-image. Our thoughts and beliefs play a huge part in the success we experience in life, they drive our emotions and our decisions. So I invite you to set your focus internally and check if any of these signs speak to you, because then, you’ll know you’ve been getting in your own way.
1. You compare yourself to others. Comparison is a way of self-judgement, and when you fall into this trap, you’re setting yourself up for a bad ride because by comparing ourselves to others, we’re not really honoring our natural beauty, our own authenticity, our gifts and talents.
What to do: Make a list of your latest successes, it doesn’t matter how small they are. Also, make a list of gratitude for all your talents, strengths, and all the amazing things and people you currently have in life. Cherish what you have in life and don’t focus on what you think you’re missing.
2. You doubt yourself. Thinking that we’re “not good enough” is a common barrier to living our best life. Many times we think we don’t have what it takes to be successful, to live our dreams. When we let that inner critic’s voice convince us that we don’t have what it takes, we’re sabotaging our own happiness and we’re keeping ourselves playing small in life.
What to do: Use your energy and focus on making peace with any critical judgment and repeat to yourself every day, many times during the day: “I AM ENOUGH, I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES AND I CAN DO ANYTHING I SET MY MIND TO”
3. You Procrastinate. Perfectionism leads to procrastination. If you wait to know everything and have everything perfect, you will never do anything. Overthinking and over-analyzing leads to analysis paralysis. As a result, you will not move forward and you’ll feel overwhelmed.
What to do: Give yourself permission to apply the saying “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.” Just get things done and know that you can always tweak them later. You’ll feel so much better when you move forward!
4. You’re stuck in a negative thought pattern. If we’re not aware of the mantra we’re operating from, we will be stuck in the same situations, creating a vicious cycle. So often we operate from old habits that are no longer serving us, and which belong to the past. That past-based language that we use is a way to sabotage ourselves and it’s a negative self-fulfilling prophecy that will prevent us from shining our light brighter!
What to do: Becoming aware of the negative thoughts, beliefs and even self-talk that you have during the day is vital to change your results in life. Challenge your negative thinking by asking yourself if these thoughts are based on true facts, and dialog with yourself in ways that are positive and nurturing. Forgive yourself for past mistakes and embrace the lessons you learned. Remember, achieving your dreams and living your best life, requires a new way of thinking and being! You got this!
5. You’re trying to fit in – We’re not here to fit in. When you try to fit in, you have to shrink and you won’t be able to live an authentic life. We might have people around us, or even society telling us what we “should” do, and we might not even be aware that we’re doing this, but believe me, that only creates a feeling of overwhelm and you’ll feel like if you’re living life going through the motions because you’d be living someone else’s life.
What to do: Pay attention when you’re making life choices, are they coming you’re your authentic self or are you “should-ing” yourself, based on other people’s opinions or your own conditionings? Do your life choices reflect your own vision? In life, it’s all about choices. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your dreams and who value and encourage your gifts and your highest potential. Also, when making decisions, ask yourself this question: “What will I regret in the future?”, that way you’ll motivate yourself to take an inspired action that feels more authentic to you.
Every decision we take will take us closer or farther away from the person we want to become and the life we want to have. Taking time for self-reflection is crucial to become aware of the inner patterns and behaviors, that are keeping us from seeing who we really are, and preventing us from living our best life!
