It’s easy to get stuck in apathy or feel indifferent about your personal life. You may think, ‘my life is fine already,’ or ‘I don’t really care about my growth,’ or ‘I’m just too exhausted.’
We set up these rules in our minds that other people should follow, and when they don’t, we ‘punish’ them by withholding love. But we end up punishing ourselves.
Even if it’s something you’ve been practicing for years, it’s possible to reclaim that beginner enthusiasm. When’s the last time you’ve allowed yourself to be a beginner at something?
I used to beat myself up over parts of my past, overanalyzing and spinning in negativity, embarrassment, or shame.
Remember what exists within you, exists within all of us – it’s just different degrees and variations.
Those seemingly insignificant things start to add up; we become more reactive, and eventually, when larger issues are exposed, they feel overwhelming, and we can become stagnant.
We're often taught to avoid 'negative' emotions like discomfort, rejection, and fear, but I think that's a mistake that keeps us in a rinse-and-repeat cycle of life. What if we were willing to experience those emotions without resistance?
Evaluating your thoughts from a place of curiosity, interest, and change helps reveal your relationship with yourself. You can make that relationship exactly what you want it to be.
I started to rely on others’ opinions to feel good about myself, leaving me in a continuous state of trying to please them. What I thought they wanted became more important than what I wanted.
I remember wishing other people believed in me more. I thought if only my boss, or my partner, or my family believed in me, then I’d have more courage to reach my goals.