The Invisible Life
I have often heard it said that when opportunity meets preparation you have a winning combination for success. So often I meet people who seem to be ambitious and have high hopes and dreams for their lives, but they have done very little preparation on themselves. It saddens me to think that someday they will meet up with an opportunity, but it will pass them by because they aren’t prepared.
What goes into preparing yourself to walk into your destiny – your dream job or that big break you have been hoping for? The answer may shock most people because they tend to think that if they work on the outer things (appearance, a fancy office, professional business cards, and the right domain name for their website); they are ready to meet up with destiny. Yes, those things are key parts of being prepared for success, however; the most important area of all is the proper MINDSET. Believe it or not, there is an invisible force running the show in your life and unless you get acquainted and deal with it you will not experience the kind of success you desire. Your beliefs, philosophies, and self-talk play a very important role in preparing you to receive the things you have been saying you want in your life. A mind that has not been properly trained, programmed and wiped clear of negative influences and thoughts will lead you to eventually sabotage your own success. Negative self-talk can cause stress, anxiety and poor mental health. Most people keep a mental conversation going in their head at all times, but don’t even know it.
Perhaps you are familiar with some of the following statements:
- I can’t apply for that position because I don’t have ____.
- My family never had a lot of money so why should I?
- I wish I had (hair, skin, etc…) like ____.
- Why do I always get passed over for promotions or opportunities?
- Maybe if I would ___ I could ____.
I’m sure you can add to the list and insert your own words, but as you can see there are many negative beliefs floating around and some are common to the human race.
Does simply having a positive mental attitude create lasting change? Absolutely not any more than putting a pile of snow on the ground in the summer will change the season to winter. Not only do you have to address the mental attitude, the underlying beliefs which drive those negative attitudes must be changed. You brain is a complex computer filled with every memory and experience that has ever happened in your life. Every event in your life and every word spoken is filtered through your personal belief system. Not only does your brain store memories, it also stores the beliefs attached to those memories. If you were teased because of your hair or skin color as a child, you may have formed a negative self-image. Perhaps your household was one where family members didn’t discuss issues openly and you formed a belief that it is best to hold your thoughts and feelings inside. Messages about success, failure, money, body image, and identity are all formed at an early age and can affect how you move forward in your everyday life.
So how do you go about addressing your inner chatter? How do you change the philosophies that are driving you to behave the way you do? You must do a mental inventory by taking note of the areas where you continue to struggle in life. Trace your behavior back as far as you can remember. When did you being to struggle in that area and what belief did you form as a result of the event? Was your belief true or was it something you told yourself because you didn’t know any better? Have you allowed another person or a past trauma to define you and cause you to feel a certain way about yourself? People who have escaped abusive relationships often struggle in this area because they were verbally abused as well. If the message was, “I am ugly and worthless and will never be good enough for anyone” you can affirm your worth by restating every day that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have a very high value and can contribute to the world in a positive way.
Finally, if you cannot seem to break through those negative thought patterns, don’t be ashamed to seek professional help. Often people suffer in silence while giving the appearance that everything is going great on the outside. Please be patient with yourself while you work on changing your negative belief system. Remember, you did not get that way overnight and you won’t change overnight. It takes time, patience, and a belief that you can and will change in time. Envision yourself with no more negative strings holding you back from accomplishing your dreams and goals. Look at the long term picture and see that many people have had to overcome the same struggles you are facing. If you truly count the cost of having missed opportunities in your life because of a negative mindset, you may find that the price of missing out on fulfilling your dreams is too high.
I’ll see you at the top!
What goes into preparing yourself to walk into your destiny – your dream job or that big break you have been hoping for? The answer may shock most people because they tend to think that if they work on the outer things (appearance, a fancy office, professional business cards, and the right domain name for their website); they are ready to meet up with destiny. Yes, those things are key parts of being prepared for success, however; the most important area of all is the proper MINDSET. Believe it or not, there is an invisible force running the show in your life and unless you get acquainted and deal with it you will not experience the kind of success you desire. Your beliefs, philosophies, and self-talk play a very important role in preparing you to receive the things you have been saying you want in your life. A mind that has not been properly trained, programmed and wiped clear of negative influences and thoughts will lead you to eventually sabotage your own success. Negative self-talk can cause stress, anxiety and poor mental health. Most people keep a mental conversation going in their head at all times, but don’t even know it.
Perhaps you are familiar with some of the following statements:
- I can’t apply for that position because I don’t have ____.
- My family never had a lot of money so why should I?
- I wish I had (hair, skin, etc…) like ____.
- Why do I always get passed over for promotions or opportunities?
- Maybe if I would ___ I could ____.
I’m sure you can add to the list and insert your own words, but as you can see there are many negative beliefs floating around and some are common to the human race.
Does simply having a positive mental attitude create lasting change? Absolutely not any more than putting a pile of snow on the ground in the summer will change the season to winter. Not only do you have to address the mental attitude, the underlying beliefs which drive those negative attitudes must be changed. You brain is a complex computer filled with every memory and experience that has ever happened in your life. Every event in your life and every word spoken is filtered through your personal belief system. Not only does your brain store memories, it also stores the beliefs attached to those memories. If you were teased because of your hair or skin color as a child, you may have formed a negative self-image. Perhaps your household was one where family members didn’t discuss issues openly and you formed a belief that it is best to hold your thoughts and feelings inside. Messages about success, failure, money, body image, and identity are all formed at an early age and can affect how you move forward in your everyday life.
So how do you go about addressing your inner chatter? How do you change the philosophies that are driving you to behave the way you do? You must do a mental inventory by taking note of the areas where you continue to struggle in life. Trace your behavior back as far as you can remember. When did you being to struggle in that area and what belief did you form as a result of the event? Was your belief true or was it something you told yourself because you didn’t know any better? Have you allowed another person or a past trauma to define you and cause you to feel a certain way about yourself? People who have escaped abusive relationships often struggle in this area because they were verbally abused as well. If the message was, “I am ugly and worthless and will never be good enough for anyone” you can affirm your worth by restating every day that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have a very high value and can contribute to the world in a positive way.
Finally, if you cannot seem to break through those negative thought patterns, don’t be ashamed to seek professional help. Often people suffer in silence while giving the appearance that everything is going great on the outside. Please be patient with yourself while you work on changing your negative belief system. Remember, you did not get that way overnight and you won’t change overnight. It takes time, patience, and a belief that you can and will change in time. Envision yourself with no more negative strings holding you back from accomplishing your dreams and goals. Look at the long term picture and see that many people have had to overcome the same struggles you are facing. If you truly count the cost of having missed opportunities in your life because of a negative mindset, you may find that the price of missing out on fulfilling your dreams is too high.
I’ll see you at the top!
RSS Feed