In our last post, we discussed the importance of discovering what holds us back from acheiving what we want or from being where we want to be.
With all we said last week, there are some things to keep in mind as you work to figure out what is holding you back. We had some great discussion that I would encourage you to read if you have not yet. A common theme that kept appearing in the discussion (which was already going to be a major point of this current post) was…
photo by: _Gene_
* Don’t obsess over or stay focused on what is holding you back. Work to figure these things out, but don’t obsess over the problem. Remember that what you focus on expands, as Andrea Hess noted in our comment section in the last post. Stay focused on moving forward when you do work to figure out what is holding you back. THE INTENTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO LEARN FROM WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD.
* It is common to have fear of self discovery. Don’t allow this to stop or cripple you. Remember the purpose is to make you a better person, not to wallow in self pity. I used to fear looking deep into my life. Now I want to look there so that I can grow from it and become better.
* Don’t get discouraged if you can’t figure it out immediately and don’t try too hard. Suggest to yourself that you will figure it out. Set aside some time to think about it, say 20 minutes. Pray that God will help reveal these things to you. But don’t try too hard. Sometimes the harder we try the more we are working against ourselves. You may simply let your mind wander and see where it takes you and then move on. If you haven’t figured anything out after this time, don’t fret about it. It will come to you. Just focus on moving forward and go on. Our continued discussion will serve to reveal these things to you so that you can learn and grow.
* Once you figure out something that is holding you back, say to yourself, “Great, now I know how to move forward!” Then write down what has been holding you back and what you are going to do to overcome it and act on it immediately. Do you really want one more wasted day? Knowledge alone will get you nowhere. It will take action - action that will get you where you want to be.
Okay, now that you are not stuck on the problems, let’s get specific. To stay with our theme, the focus will be on what holds you back from inner peace. Many of the same principles can apply to any goal you set.
Let’s take a look at some blockers and how to overcome them.
Lack of knowledge - Many people don’t have peace in their lives simply because they don’t know how to have peace in their lives. That is the purpose of this blog. I’m assuming that most of you are here because you want to know how to have that peace. Keep reading. Knowledge is key.
Fear of the unknown or letting go - Many people are in their comfort zone and are afraid of pushing forward to the peace that is on the other side. Fear of getting away from the things with which they are familiar is very frightening. If this describes you, rest assured that what is on the other side is well worth the effort. Write down somewhere, “I recognize that I am afraid, but I realize that what is on the other side is much better. It is worth letting go of the things with which I am familiar in order to have peace in my life. I resolve to let go of all of it.” Let your mind focus on that for a minute.
photo by: Dan4th
Lack of consciousness or awareness- Some people are stuck in autopilot without even the awareness that they do not have peace. They simply live their lives like they always have without a second thought, always doing what they have always done and not even knowing why. They do not know that they can change their lives by changing their thinking. They are just trying to get through the day instead of getting something from the day. If this is you, stay tuned to see how you can change your thoughts to change your life. Begin thinking about what you can do to get something out of the day. What can you do to brighten someone else’s day? Become aware of the negative thought patterns in your mind and begin replacing them with postive ones.
Lack of focus - Certainly focus is important. As we stated earlier, what you focus on expands. Do you want peace. Focus on peace. Is there chaos in your life? Are you focused on the chaos? Are you surrounded by problems. Are you focued on them? What if you asked yourself how you could turn these problems into peace? How would you do that? It takes intention. It takes focus - concentrated focus.
Are you focused on the right things? What are your priorities? If you don’t know, it’s time to think about them and write them down and number them. If you don’t know what your priorities are peace will never be possible in your life. Priorities are a must! Priorities allow you to focus.
More ways to move forward next time….
What are some more things that you have discovered that has held you back?
