Browsing August, 2010
Good, Bad, Guilt, Fear….oh my.
I used to have a strong fear of success. Oh sure, I said I wanted this and wanted that, had this goal or that goal, but at the end of the day, it frightened be subconsciously. Fear that I would lose some of my friends, that they would think I was different, fear of having to “live up” to whatever lifestyle one was supposed to have when one is “successful”. (sounds so ridiculous now to read that).
And then there was the guilt. Feeling guilty of maybe having the things that some others don’t, and feeling unworthy of it. Why should I have something if that person doesn’t have it? Those types of thoughts.
These thoughts and beliefs can truly paralyze us. They can stop us in our tracks. It is self-sabotage at its finest. We can actually create situations for ourselves that put roadblocks in front of us without realizing we are doing it, because it is below the surface, it’s in our subconscious mind.
My belief is that we are on this earth to live abundantly. That word, “abundantly” is not going to mean the same thing to everyone. In fact, it will mean something different for each and every person. So, what your abundance is is up to you. It could be lots of money. It could be lots of joy. It could mean having a lot or friends, loved ones, or just feeling loved. It could be that you are doing what you love to do every single day, raising a family, etc. You get to decide. But make sure you actually decide.
And once you decide, don’t let fear of actually getting there stop you. And don’t let the feeling of guilt for having a good life stop you either. In fact, take those words out of your subconscious mind, as well as your conscious mind forever. They aren’t doing you any good anyways.
To your own “abundance”,
Jamie
Thinking Outside The Box
It’s probably an understatement to say that we are living in, well, let’s say “strange” economic times. Certainly we would all agree that things are different now then, say, 5 years ago. I currently live in Las Vegas, and 5 years ago in Vegas things were booming like crazy. Housing prices were through the roof, there were plenty of jobs to be had, whether you were in construction, entertainment, the service industry, whatever. Things were good. Life was good. Hmmm….a bit different story today.
I am not going to rehash the unemployment numbers, or the percentages that housing prices have gone down. My purpose here is not to depress anyone, or state the obvious. So let’s get to my point for writing this:
When everything was all hunky-dory and we were all just grooving along on auto-pilot like life will be just like this forever, what were you doing? And the bigger question is this: What are you doing NOW? Are you doing the same thing? And what are your results? If you are one of the lucky ones that has a career that is still flourishing since the downturn, and all is well with your life, then I say awesome and congratulations. But if, like the world, things have changed for you and things are not so great, think about what you are doing to change with the times. Are you changing at all?
Remember Einstein’s definition on insanity: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Folks, now is the time to think “outside the box.” In fact, I say this is just about a necessity. The old days are over. One job for life, one career, retirement provided by your employer that will be there when you retire. These are things that for most will not be a reality. It’s a new day, it’s a whole new world. But it’s also a time for renewal, for reinvigorating ourselves, rethinking our lives in general. It’s a time when our creativity and zest for life will be brought to its fullest potential. It’s a time to really focus on what we truly are passionate about, what our talents are (are you using your given talents?), what our strengths are.
Speaking of strengths, check out www.strengthsfinder.com for an analysis of what you truly excel at. It can be a real eye opener. But I digress….
The only thing that will hold you back from achieving everything you want, all of your goals, your hopes, dreams (yes, even now in this economy) is…..YOU. Figure out what you want, which for most is the hardest part. Focus on that like there is nothing else, pinpoint, laser attention to that vision. Finally, take the action required, think outside the box, there is NO obstacle that you cannot overcome. Go and get it.
Let’s shred those boxes,
Jamie