3 Things You Didn’t Know Were Holding You Back from the Life You Want
While you think you know what’s holding you back from your dream life, the real culprit might surprise you. Have you ever wondered why you’re not living the life you desire? I know that’s a loaded question but I’m pretty sure we all ask this at some point in our lives. Usually, when faced with a question like this, we can list a bunch of reasons. If I was a betting girl, I’d wager that you might automatically list the external things not working in your favor.
“It's this situation”, “it's that person” or “the timing is all wrong.”
These may be true but what if there was another reason you could control? It may be hard to hear, but more times than not, YOU are the reason. It’s ironic but I promise, there’s hope.
This was my truth for way too long. When things weren’t going my way or outside of my reach, I instinctively blamed everything and everyone.
My list was long, and I believed it wholeheartedly.
Like many ah-ha moments, it took a shot of reality to put me in my place. After a lot of soul searching, I realized that everything I wanted was within my control.
Being in a job I hated, wasn’t because of my evil boss or long commute.
Not living my passion had nothing to do with my age or my background.
Having less than what I envisioned, had nothing to do with my finances.
These realities had EVERYTHING to do with me.
I admit that blaming everything else was a hell of a lot easier than accepting I was the culprit. After a good kick in the butt, I finally got real and probed deeper.
It became clear there were 3 things that I allowed to keep my dream at arm’s length.
1) FEAR
Like a little kid who puts a blanket over her head, I was hiding behind fear. It doesn’t make anything better and it surely does not help achieve our dreams. I learned the hard way that fear is just a feeling and cannot hurt us. More importantly, I know now that EVERYTHING we want is on the other side of fear!
I challenge you to live by words of Susan Jeffers,
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
2) EXCUSES
The word “because” was my mantra and I believed it all. I was hiding behind why I couldn’t and never allowed myself to see the possibilities. Once I started to challenge myself, I removed the excuses one by one and began to believe that I could.
It’s time to flip the switch, stop making excuses and find reasons why we can.
“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” ―George Washington Carver
3) LIMITATIONS
For better or for worse, we are taught as children what we can (or can’t) achieve. This invisible bar sets the rule for what’s possible. Even when I allowed myself to dream big, there was a part of me that separated me from what I wanted. I wondered why so many others had achieved great things, while I was stuck wanting. Once I realized I had a self-imposed bar, a whole world of possibility opened.
Abolish that bar and start allowing yourself to see the possibilities.
“The only limits you have are the limits you believe.” Wayne Dyer
If your life isn’t what you expect or if you have a goal that you haven’t achieved, explore what’s really holding you back. The first step in everything is simply acknowledgement. Then you can go to work and get what you want. Fear, excuses and limitations may seem insurmountable but trust me, they are not.
Get aligned with your future self and start reeling her in.
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