Back when I was travelling, before Covid shut us all in, I remember being on a passenger train.
Over the load speaker, the driver said, please stand clear of the doors. Apparently, a passenger standing in the door was holding up the train.
I think this is happening all day long, except it’s not a train that's holding us up, it’s our thoughts. Below are some common thoughts that hold people back:
Doubt or Worry.
Can you think of the last time doubt held you back? Perhaps this morning when you decided to skip a seminar because you didn't feel prepared. Or when you gorged on the chocolate cake because you doubt your diet is actually working.
Doubt is subtle yet it's working behind the scenes and impacting your behaviours. Whenever you doubt yourself or others you limit your growth. But how can doubting others limit your growth? Let's say someone presents you with an opportunity- if you doubt them or their ability or ideas you may refuse to consider it. At that point, all possibilities to grow are shut down.
On a team, we’re all on board to move forward but several people are holding up the journey. It’s their doubtful thoughts and behaviour that are stalling a whole team.
The only way for anyone to move forward is with belief, optimism or hope.
Fear.
Fear is the lowest vibration thought. It's designed to keep you safe and protect you. But do you need protection? After all, there is not much that threatens our lives day- to -day. Unless you consider a surprise visit from your mother in law a threat. I look around and see fear threaten most people, yet I'm not sure what we're scared of. The truth is we only really learn when we step out of our comfort zone.
The next time fear threatens to scare you into the shadows to avoid making a fool of yourself- take a risk instead. Let a feeling of hope take over and believe in yourself. You'll be surprised how much you can grow.
Anger.
Anger boils to the surface when you feel like you have been mistreated. If you feel disadvantaged by others, anger will come to the rescue. It demands resolution. The thing about anger is you can spend forever trying to decide whose right or wrong and never really resolve anything. At the same time, you are holding up your own journey. As long as you are focused on anger, you are not focused on progress and growth.
Guilt.
What are the demons inside telling you that you did wrong lately? Did you forget to call your father on his birthday? Did you lash out at a co-worker? Are you over budget? Behind on a deadline? Oh my, it's tough to be perfect. Some of the best advice I've ever received is that you can't feel good by needing other people to feel good. Their feelings are their business. If you hang your powerful good feelings on other people's temporary ups and downs you can be depleted.
You can only move forward when you leave behind these mental patterns.
Building positive momentum is like learning a new language. It just takes some time and focus to keep throwing more and more positive thoughts into your inner dialogue.