How comfortable are you with letting yourself think outside of the box? Often times we aren't even aware of how confined we live. A good way to check where you are on the "living-in-the-box" or "living-out-of-the box" scale is to check how many times you say No. No, immediately followed by a self-limiting excuse. And, just to be clear... there is a huge difference between the No that comes from not wanting to over-extend and the No that comes from fear-based living.
Emotional fears unchecked over time often manifest as full-on excuses that keep us small. Excuses such as: Oh, I could never do that. I'd be afraid of this happening. I'd be afraid of that happening. I'm too old. I'm too young. I'm not educated enough. I don't have the money. I don't have the time. I have kids to take care of. I have parents to take care of. What will my friends think? What will my family think? What if I move and I don't like it? What if I leave this job I really don't like and the next job's the same? Pretty bleak story, right? You get the picture.
What an incredibly limited life view. Often times people don't even realize how constricted their life has become. However, it typically rears its ugly head when someone we know starts to live the life we secretly wished we lived. Passive aggressive comments like "must be nice" or "who do they think they are" begin to pepper our conversations. Then comes the strong pull of jealousy and envy. The downward spiral continues as criticism and judgement of others further spins us out. And finally, soon to follow suit, is the inevitable curse of making excuses for our own dreams cut short.
"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Maya Angelou
How do we stop this toxic cycle of self-sabotage? Is it even possible? Yes! By becoming aware of our thoughts, first and foremost. And secondly, by thinking bigger... and Bigger! Think about how often we allow our minds to ruminate over the same constrictive, self-limiting thoughts. Minute after minute. Hour after hour. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. All that great energy we have in our bodies and what is it used for? To fret, worry and stew. Now wonder we are tired. Life feels bleak and colorless. Care to change the channel to a more vibrant picture of your life?
Ahhh...lovely Mykonos, Greece. Can you feel yourself calling dibs on this?
Think bigger. Think differently. Think in color. No. Better yet think in technicolor. Think boldly. Think expansively. The world is your playground. Speaking of playgrounds remember going to the park or playground as a kid? Calling out what you had dibs on made you run faster as you felt the excitement and anticipation of play. What did you love calling dibs on? Was it the swings? Monkey bars?Slide? What do you want to do with your life that makes you want to call dibs on it?
Come on....you know what I'm talking about. Are you a lover of ceramics? Do you secretly harbor a love of photography? Do you wish you ran your own business? Owned a bakery? Always had a natural eye for interior design? How about a professional race car driver? Astronaut. Teacher. Writer. Fashion designer. Animal intuitive. Surfer. Forest ranger. Brew master. Actor. Actress. Dancer. Floral designer. Poet. Doctor. Publisher. Inventor.
Training our minds to think bigger is amazing work. I started actively committing to this last fall and I can tell you that it really does work. My "think bigger" routine combines journaling as well as short visualizations. By short visualizations I mean less than five minutes. Pretty do-able, right?
Hmmmm... Which hand-woven gorgeous Turkish rug should I pick? On second thought, I'll take them all.
I find it helpful to journal first then visualize. Journaling helps to stir the creative juices and really get some ideas flowing. By seeing the words on paper I begin to hold in mind the mental pictures and images of what I am writing about. Seeing it on the page is a very important step along the path to bigger and bolder living. This journal entry typically keeps me focused for several weeks or months at a time. Then, I set a few minutes aside in the day to visualize myself already enjoying the fruits of my labor. Notice I wrote that I see myself as already having what I want. More on that later. First journaling.
"Every choice we make either serves us or sabotages us." Nancy Levin
Write down in a journal a day in your dream life. What are you doing for work? Where do you live? Do you have an assistant? What language are you speaking? What sounds do you hear as you walk out the door? What kind of vehicle are you driving? What is the climate like? What type of clothing are you wearing? Do you have conference calls to make? Or, simply reading a book perhaps? Do you have an exciting guided excursion booked and are waiting to be picked up by your personal driver? Do you own a jet? Are you getting your suitcase packed to travel? Are you taking surf lessons? Ready to eat the delicious food your personal chef has prepared?
You get the picture... write down details of you living the life you desire. Do not focus on how you got this life. If you do it's a surefire way to stop manifesting in its tracks. Your only job is to write down what you want. I repeat Do Not worry about the how.
And, here comes the manifesting paradox...do not get overly attached to the outcome. I know I know. What the heck? Well, here's the rub. The desires we really, truly want are there to hold a template of possibilities for us. They are not the end all, be all. The cool thing about manifesting is you can get something even more amazing, even more astounding than you ever could have imagined. Don't limit your thoughts...
After journaling you are now set up for a seamless experience in visualizing. Again, this takes a few minutes maximum per day. No more than five minutes. Trust me! Closing your eyes you feel yourself going to the "woo-hoo" awesomeness of already having the house of your dreams. Travel partner of your dreams. Bank account of your dreams. Doing the creative work you love doing. Driving the dream car. Having wonderfully supportive friends. All of it. All. Of. It.
Fresh, home-made Italian gelato in Amalfi, Italy. What a great way to enjoy your afternoon. Am I right?
See yourself smiling and laughing because your life totally rocks! You think to yourself, "Wow. I did it. I really did it. This is so great. My life is awesome. Who wouldn't want to be me?" Hold this space. Laughing with friends. Trips of a lifetime. Everything is perfect. My health is vibrant. I have so much money I never need worry about it again. Ya-hoo!
Feels wonderful doesn't it?
Even if your life is far from this today don't give up on yourself. Journal your dream life. Be bold. Be daring. Be colorful. Visualize this already being your life. You are the best thing that ever happened to you! Thinking bigger...No, bigger! may cause you to truly be the happiest person you know...
What have you got to lose?
You've got this!... Joanna
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