Being blocked. Feeling stuck. Experiencing an undercurrent of uneasiness. These aren’t good feelings to have, yet for many of us they are all we know. We don’t even realize how bad they make us feel, because it is our normal state of being. Not until we break free from the false comfort of our disquietude do we notice how truly unhealthy and miserable we were.
There is saying that only a man who has been imprisoned can know what it’s like to feel free. This is true about our mental and emotional states too. I was able to break free, gradually, from a negative mental state that left me very unhappy. Frustration and dissatisfaction dogged me, even when I was achieving the things I was going after. So I sought a remedy. I found myself frequently pondering the question, “Is this all there is?” And, deep in my heart, the answer reverberated a reassuring, “No.” I kept on searching.
The search led me inward on a journey of self-reflection and inner work. This inner work caused me to identify those things that were not right in my life. It motivated me to take actions to help me cope, actions that didn’t quite make sense, intuitively. But I was willing to try them. I’d run out of other options – doing and achieving was no longer working and I needed relief.
Over the course of several years I’d gone from being a nervous person who hated venturing too far from home (something I’d have blamed on my genes) into an international traveler excited to explore new areas, meet different people, and learn new things. I am much more sure of myself, now. Getting in touch with my values and knowing what I’m unwilling to compromise on brought forth this equanimity. Getting (and keeping) my house in order – mind, body, spirit, and money maintains it.
My journey has been amazing and continues. I have documented it, thus far, in my soon to be released book Growing Bold: How to Overcome Fear, Build Confidence, and Love the Life you Live. The book not only tells my story, but it lays out a path to help others break free from their prisons of self-doubt, negativity, and limitations. I’m so very excited about its release in the next several weeks. For more information and updates on it check out www.overcomefearbuildconfidence.com/book.
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano