I know an outstanding, prosperous woman named Sarah. Her new business is in the stage where her projects have not launched yet. Income sits in the future creating minor waves of anxiety as she steers her business in this part of her journey.
Her vision and product are genius. Her business model will disrupt old patterns in the industry. (She won’t underpay workers or harm the earth while she delivers a beautiful product.) She will serve the world with her creative innovations on a global scale.
Yet, in this stage of waiting for her projects to launch, her mind keeps shooting all sorts of rules at her like these:
“You shouldn’t build your own business when you have kids to provide for.”
“You must work faster.”
“You need to be more strategic.”
All sorts of rigid rules that threaten her ability to focus and stay the course of her mission.
Can you relate?
Let’s look at this closer.
Rules are beneficial to cope with a large population. For instance, driving is safer when we have a rule to stop at a red light.
However, in our personal life, rules become problematic when we hold onto them tightly. We can feel restricted and rebellious or demotivated by these thoughts.
Feeling stifled is a sure fire way to distract you from taking clear action towards your goal.
Yet, I hear people say their rules. All the time.
Next time catch yourself saying: “I should” or “I must” or “I ought to” or “I need to” or “I have to” or “wrong” or “bad” or ‘good.”
Notice how it feels in your body with that rule. Do you feel motivated? Or are you easily distracted?
One thing you can do is what Sarah and I did together:
You can name what you value in the rule. Open up the rule to look inside for something that you value and turn the statement around.
Like this:
Rule: I shouldn’t run my own business when I have kids to support.
Value: I want to run my business in a way that allows stability. (Stability is the value you here).
Or this:
Rule: I need to be more strategic.
Value: Strategy is important to the success in my business. I schedule on my calendar to review my strategies weekly.
Back to Sarah. She is aware of how to work with her mind and her vision. She has a proven track record and skills to bring stability to her vision. Success is on the horizon!
Give yourself the gift of working with your mind to be more flexible and kind towards yourself and your goals.
Love, Kirsten
PS. If you know someone that may feel supported by this email on rules and kinder ways of being, send them to this link.
PPS. Do you have any good news to share? What happened in your world that restored a sense of joy and equilibrium? I want to know. Really. 🙂 Email me at [email protected] or comment below.
PPS. What is a rule that plays in your head? C’mon. We all have them! Reply to tell me or comment on my blog. I catch this thought ruling my life: “Faster! You have to catch up!” And, my body can spends hours in tension rushing before before I realize what has happened.
News that Inspires and Restores your Soul
In good news section of newsletter this week, I highlight a woman in Kenya that inspires us to build a business that reduces harm to the planet. Nzambi Mattee had a vision to take plastic waste that could no longer be recycled and turn it into a brick 5 x stronger than concrete. She did it! She successfully runs a business that manufactures bricks and she also designed the machines to do it. See here.