Thursday, April 17, 2008

Power of the ‘Mind-Closet’

Often spring is thought of as the time of year for cleaning out the closet and forward thinking. It’s almost like a new year. We turn the clocks an hour forward in order to have more daylight and begin to realize that we should be taking advantage of life. Yet old habits die hard, don’t they? As we attempt to clear out the old boxes, books and clothes, sometimes what we really need is to clear out our ‘mind-closet’.

The self-limiting beliefs of last year are still not getting us anywhere. In fact, they simply hinder our progress and encumber our development.

If spring is about moving forward, I wonder, why don’t we embrace the leap?

This is when reality sets in and our self-limiting beliefs return to inhibit us. We find ourselves as inactive as before, with a fading memory of how spring had momentarily inspired us.

Take a moment to think and ask yourself these questions.

What beliefs about myself or the world do I carry with me? Then ask yourself, are these beliefs having a positive influence in my life?

If yes, keep them up. In fact, encourage and nourish them.

If no, DITCH them.

For those of you interested in digging deeper into the archives of the mind-closet, I would like to share a story with you.

When I finally thought concepts like the glass ceiling had been broken, a friend shared with me the other day that although she would be making a lot of money in a few years, she would never be able to make as much money as a man in her same position. And I thought to myself, “She could never make as much money? But, girls can do anything!”

If I ever believed myself incapable of doing something, I would not be where I am today.

We all have our doubts, our insecurities and our self-limiting beliefs – so this spring start UNPACKING, and allow yourself to lead a lighter life. Look within yourself and recognize that the voice in your head, the monkey on your shoulder and the gremlin lurking in the shadows are only there because YOU allow them to be.

So what am I asking you to do?

1. Be honest with yourself.
2. Allow yourself to acknowledge and experience those inhibiting thoughts and beliefs.
3. Then, make a conscious choice to disengage with these beliefs.
4. Forgive yourself if you find this difficult.

The fact is if you want to, you can. It’s when you don’t allow yourself to wish, dream or desire that you hold yourself back. Don’t let your beliefs get the best of you. AnyONE can do anyTHING. Allow yourself to open your mind, bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. See the world for what it is, a place of opportunity, rather than letting yourself be shadowed by your fears.

Life is about choice. Take control of it. Make the choice to clear out your ‘mind-closet’!