The positive effect of a simple change in attitude

Happy Sunday, loved ones!

I hope you all had a beautiful week. Mine was busy and a little chaotic, but I found "me" time in there, too, which has been essential lately. As weird as it sounds, I feel less confidence and more anxiety about my future career now that I've achieved my personal training certification! It's almost like, "Yikes! What now? How do I put all this knowledge I've gained over the past several months into practice?" I feel that nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that I'm not good enough, I don't know enough, and I'm finding it hard to quiet that voice lately.

Taking the time to reflect this week, both on my own and with others, got me thinking about the power that our ideas have in forming our realities. Our thoughts and ideas either propel us forward or hold us back. Visualization goes hand-in-hand with this idea: in order to achieve a goal, we have to be able to perceive it. In other words, we struggle with putting meaningful action in place to achieve our goals and desires because we limit our imaginations. For me, it's hard to imagine myself embodying my dreams, an I think this struggle holds me back a lot.

I was speaking to a friend the other day with whom I am very close; that is, close to the point that we feel comfortable leveling with each other about any and everything, even though it might be hard to say and hard for the other person to hear. Our conversations come from a place of love and authenticity because speaking freely with one another doesn't come from a place of jealousy or other similar, ugly emotions. For these reasons, I know that we this friend speaks, I better listen :-)

We were discussing the fact that I got my personal training certification, and was griping about how it's been hard for me to get motivated to attract clients given that I have an internship at a gym already and a full-time job. I commented about how it seems like I don't have that "hustle" gene and personal training is all about self-promotion and getting out there and just doing. I said that I wish I felt more of an impetus ton hustle because I know that's what I need to learn and get comfortable with if I want to be successful in this industry. My friend said to me, half-jokingly, that I better figure it out soon because I'm not that young and a lot of people in this industry have youth on their side.

This was mostly said in jest because I'm only 28 years young (!), but he did have a point. Her comment really hit home with me because it was said out loud something that I have been thinking,which, ironically, is the time that I should be pending setting goals, establishing action steps and ways to measure my progress!

Our daily lives are punctuated by hundreds of experiences; some are memorable but most aren't. Some seem benign and insignificant, but rather can have profound impacts. Depending on your particular state of mind on any given day, a quote or a conversation or a passing thought can impact us in significant ways. Under other circumstances, this conversation with my friend may have had very little effect on me. However, because I am working hard to be more mindful, I was receptive to the message behind the conversation. I did not immediately react to my friend's words; rather, I opened up to its message and let it spread and saturate. 

Part of the process that allows us to quiet those voices in our heads telling us we're no good involves a certain practice: the practice of reception. When we open ourselves up to be in a position to receive, the universe will give. If we lead with the attitude of being closed off to the world, or when our default response is to be reactionary, the opposite effect is achieved. As a result, we find ourselves in a vicious cycle of discouragement, negativity, and poor self-esteem.

Very wise words!

I took my friends' words and allowed them to work on me. I let them fuel me and propel me forward. I was inspired to write down a list of my goals for the next six months. This simple act effectively changed my attitude entirely: never doubt the power of self-actualization! More often than not, we don't act because we think that we don't know the right way to do something. This is a trap! Don't fall in! Do, do, do, do, and do some more. Don't worry if it's right; settle into the notion that you will figure it out, as long as you are open and receptive.

Have an amazing and productive week everyone!