Mental Hurdles

October 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Last week my inner tyrant had a party and I fell under her spell. I was overtired. The day started off on the wrong foot. I woke up in a cold sweat after having a disturbing dream that I couldn’t shake. My mind kept asking why would I have a dream like that?

Wrong question. Why questions make me go in circles. I went down the rabbit hold for an hour or so. Until I decided to work it out on my yoga mat. Tending to my body, mind and spirit in class gave me a break mental masturbation. And I felt better.

Although not 100% I went to work. I added 30 names to my database, sent out a mailing, contacted a potential client, attended a mastermind meeting but I didn’t feel totally into it. Next, I went on line and spent more than an hour comparing myself to everyone and concluded they were better than me and it wore me out —I had lost control of my senses—again.

Sometimes a day of nuttiness just happens. I don’t choose to discipline myself to stop the insanity. However, instead of it lingering for weeks it shifts within 24 hours. I have tools that I can use to obtain some measure of self-mastery. Here’s the thing, when I am not taking good care of myself (overtired) I am susceptible to my inner tyrant. And we all know we shouldn’t believe the nonsense it throws at us. It’s free floating BS that runs through the collective consciousness.

Here’s what I know, I have to flex my mental muscles, I must reach out for support, it’s okay to be vulnerable, good healthy food gets my engine going, journaling and quiet contemplation starts my day off better than hitting the ground running. And even with this wisdom there are still days where it all changes and I don’t do what’s best for me. Emerson said something roughly like: show me a consistent person and I will show you someone who isn’t being authentic. Things change in our world and in our inner terrain everyday. Wise personal leadership requires that you outfox your operating system and install a new one. This one focuses on what I want, not what I don’t want, whom I wish to be around, on effortlessness, on self appreciation and self love and on enjoying more inspiration and less perspiration.

I like to tell myself that today I am not going to sweat it. I am where I should be, I am growing everyday, I may not be where I ultimately want to be, but I am further than I was. I am human and I appreciate myself.

 

Filed Under: mind set, objections, sales preparation, self motivation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Maybe Balancing is Bunk

June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

I am in a crunch right now. The intensity of rolling out a new product has cranked up the number of hours I sit at my computer (which doesn’t thrill me). I am a people person. But I am noticing how I’ve changed in the last year, since I am willingly and joyfully breaking away to grab more yoga classes to cool off my nervous system. This is a breakthrough because although I’ve read so many articles about balance, I’ve often failed to take total control over my time and have put my well-being last on the list.

Who hasn’t? We hear and read about balance; there are tons of tools available to make us more efficient too. Yet, we are spinning out more than ever. Every woman I know is either striving to be better or postponing. Vowing that once we clean we will vacation, exercise or have drinks with friends. Balance seems like bunk.

Maybe we need to manage better, like my husband says. Or perhaps, like my meditation teacher says, it’s about flow. How about self-regulation? Here’s a practice that takes all my might, and when you do it you can be in control more than usual. It’s what I’ve been playing with.

  • Push and than back off just a little.
  • Engage fully and later let go and surrender.
  • Honker down and trust the universe, spirit, light beings, God to intervene; let go and receive.

In spin classes, you do interval training and pump really hard until the teacher says “Release the tension of the road.” For a brief moment, your legs are being pulled in circles effortlessly. Life is like that — there’s a force there to assist if we let it.

Life doesn’t have to be a 24/7-spin cycle. You can willfully regulate it, vary the intensity and length of stress and relax. But the idea of equal proportions of Zen and crazy busy can make you nuts. Some days will be more demanding and you will be able to do more with greater grace and clarity if you give yourself the gift of downshifting. Forget the balance B.S—it’s too annoying.

Filed Under: balance, self love, stress reduction, women entrepreneurs Tagged With: ,