Here are 7 very common “buts” you must kick in the butt ASAP, so you can feel free, happy, and live to your fullest potential.
1. “But I can’t…”
Write a list of all the things you say you can’t do.
Then stop. Realize you just shot your life in the foot. Why would you do that to yourself? No one else can harm you as much as you can.
“I can” are the two simplest and most powerful words for creating change.
“I can’t” isn’t anything real and true about you and your life; it is a mindset. Luckily, you were born with consciousness and free will, so you can change your mind any time you like.
2. “But I don’t know how…”
Write a list of all the things you say you don’t know how to do.
Now realize, you don’t know how YET. And that won’t stop you.
There is one difference between people who have created what they want and achieved the experience of life they knew was possible, and those who haven’t. Those who did are the ones who at first didn’t know how, yet they still went out into the world with an open mind and heart in search of the answers.
In this age of information, you can find answers, support, guidance, direction, tools, and resources to almost any question! And there is a heck of a lot of FREE information out there!
So get out there and give life a real shot! Say to yourself, “I don’t know how YET, but all I need to do is start asking questions and opening up for answers and I will find a way.”
3. “But I don’t have…”
Write a list of the things you say you don’t have, which you believe prevents you from doing what you want to do.
Now realize, you might not have what you think you need YET. And this won’t stop you either. There are ways around every perceived problem if you are willing to look at that problem with solution eyes.
You might not have the resources to do something you desire to do. But you do have the opportunity, being alive right here and now, to create the resources over time. Or to partner with someone who has the resources you need, in a way that benefits both parties.
You can also look at your circumstances from a new perspective and consider perhaps, what you think you must have to move forward may actually not be true. At times, we become wedded to ideas about what we need to have in order to live life the way we desire. And yet, if we let go of our attachment to those rigid ideas, we might just see more powerful ways to move forward.
Look creatively at what you might need. Reconsider how you might go about creating, finding, or sourcing it. Give away any excuse about how long it might take or how hard that might be. Instead, ask yourself, “How much do I want my goal/dream/life to thrive?”
4. “But I’m not…”
Write a list of the things you say you’re not good at or not enough of, which keep you stuck, lacking confidence, and not taking action.
Now consider, you can look at the glass half-full or half-empty. You can look at what you are not or you can look at what you are. You can look at your talents and strengths and learn how to use those to your advantage. Or you can look at your weaknesses and decide they define you, rather than seeking to strengthen those parts of yourself.
Your subconscious mind is like a sponge. It soaks up everything you say to yourself. It’s like an impressionable little child hiding behind the door, eavesdropping on your conversation! Whatever “I AM…” and “I AM NOT…” statements you repetitively say to yourself with emotional conviction are being imprinted into your subconscious. These then play back to you like a tape recorder, dictating your level of self-confidence, self-belief, and sense of capability.
If you want to feel more confident and empowered to create the life you want, you have to start coding your mind with powerful I AM statements.
5. “But it’s not possible…”
Write a list of the things you say are not possible for you, even though you really want them.
Something is only impossible until it’s done. Possible and impossible are perspectives.
6. “But I’m afraid…”
Write a list of what you’re afraid of, including fearful scenarios you think might happen.
Now realize, we’re all afraid of something, at some point. But most times, fear is not the instinctive human survival response that aids us well if we are in danger. Instead, it’s an out of control response to your mind telling made-up stories about:
- what you should and shouldn’t do
- what might or might not happen
- what is and isn’t possible
People who overcome fear didn’t lose the fear and then step forward. They stepped forward through the fear and in doing so, exercised their courage muscle. You have to exercise that muscle in order for it to grow and for it to eventually tip the balance on your fear. Just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean you need to give up on yourself and on the life you desire…
Fear is just a calling card to ACT. Accept the invitation.
The fear feeling tells you:
- Yes, I’m afraid because I’m entering uncertain territory (where great possibilities exist).
- I care enough about this situation/possibility/dream to be afraid.
If there was no fear, you wouldn’t likely have enough inner investment in your desired outcome to do what it takes to create it. So celebrate the fact you’ve got fear. It can be fuel to help move you forward!
7. “But what if…”
Write a list of all your “what if” statements — the things your mind comes up with that keep you stuck.
- What if it doesn’t work? But what if it does?
- What if I fail? But what if you didn’t? What if you actually succeeded?
- And, if you did fail, so what?!
It is your addiction to certainty and your avoidance of risk that keeps you stuck. Certainty is addictive, but what you must realize is this… uncertainty is the breeding ground of all great possibility. You just have to be willing to walk out into that uncertain space and sit with the discomfort long enough to grab those possibilities and fly with them.
You could play “what if” from now until the moment you lay on your deathbed, and nothing will have changed. There are a million what ifs — half positive, half negative. You can choose which ones to play with. You can live in accordance with either perspective. One perspective will suffocate you. The other perspective will set you free from the inside out.
It’s your choice. What choice will you make right now?
This article was written by Bernadette Logue, Transformation Life Coach, author, and leader of The Daily Positive. You can follow Bernadette at The Daily Positive on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and her website. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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