Get Out of Your Own Way
We all want to live a rich long life and yet we don’t even live the life that is right in front of us.
Life has a way of pulling you in, but not always for the better. It narrows your vision to only see the pain, the fear, the worst-case scenarios. It doesn’t just slow you down, it tries to shut you down.
The human experience is drenched in a desire to shield ourselves from these realities. Spending more time fearing something will happen, stopping something from happening, or being frustrated something did happen.
While this reclusive and defensive response is a natural instinct lined up with our intrinsic mentality of survival, the life it breeds is not the rich life we desire. It actually physically drains our health, shortens our life, and results in us missing out on so much of what matters.
There are small mindset shifts....subtle, but powerful, that can steer your life toward vibrance, joy, and deep, meaningful experiences. I know that might sound like the kind of thing you only feel on a dream vacation, somewhere far from real life. But that’s not true. That kind of richness is available every day, if you’re willing to change the way you approach life.
Be present: While there is a world roaring around you, life doesn’t happen later. It’s happening now. But most of us miss it, lost in distraction or chasing what’s next. In fact, my daughter is asking me to come play barbies right now...I'll be back..............Presence is power. It's where joy lives, where peace breathes. If you want a vibrant life, start by being in this moment.
Allow yourself to feel: Life will inevitably have its ups and downs. If you've experienced enough downs, it's enough to want to try to block yourself from the feelings it creates. Vibrant life begins with feeling, truly feeling. Not just the highs, but the lows too. In fact, in this day and age, people are quick to skip the highs as well. They are so focused on the next thing they don't slow down to enjoy even their wins. When you downplay the wins or numb the pain, you dull joy. Emotion is what gives color to your world.
Push yourself to risk: Playing it safe might keep you comfortable, but it also keeps you small. There are no waves in the hidden harbor of safety, but there’s no current either. No movement, no depth, no growth. If you want to feel something real, you have to leave the dock. The edge is where growth happens. Lean into it.
Say the thing: A life lived with a muzzle isn’t a life at all. It’s a silent existence suspended between your heart and your dreams. It’s the love of your life held at arm’s length by the breath you never released. Your financial future, indebted to the words you never spoke. Your direction, handed off to someone else because you chose silence. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Find your voice, use it. Say the thing. Because the moment you do, you begin to take your life back.
Let go: That death grip you have on... all the things.. can choke out every aspect of life. Let go of what? How about control? That never ending desire to control everything going on around you. Everyone around you. It's stifling your very existence, not to mention everyone around you. How about letting go of unforgiveness? This is like a poison doing nothing but destroying you from the inside out. The only one feeling it...is you. How about the shame you feel from your past? It's heavy....but only because you're still trying to carry it. Let go.
The only thing standing between you and the life you were made for......is you. Not your past, not your pain, not your circumstances. Just you. The life you want is already reaching for you, but it can’t break through the walls you’ve built.
It’s waiting on your voice, your courage, your willingness to let go of the things that no longer serve you. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be honest with yourself. Brave enough to feel. Bold enough to risk. Present enough to see what’s in front of you. You are the key. You always have been. So unlock the door. Life is waiting, it’s more beautiful than you imagined.
Today’s Forced Challenge: I want you to FORCE yourself to attack at least one of these challenges:
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Show Up Fully: Be fully present in every room you walk into this week. No phone. No escape. Just you. Break into the moment.
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Stop Numbing: Pick one unhealthy coping habit (food, phone, avoidance) and cut it for 7 days. Sit with what comes up. Learn to manage your emotions versus numbing them.
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Do One Scary Thing: Apply for it. Ask them out. Start the thing. Step into discomfort and watch yourself grow. You know exactly the thing I'm talking about.
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Say the Thing: Have one honest conversation you’ve been avoiding. Speak with love, but don’t hold back. That conversation you've been dreading of having for a while.
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Let Go of Something That No Longer Serves You:
A commitment, a story, a relationship. If it’s stealing your peace, it’s time to release it. There are things you tell yourself everyday that you rely on to protect you from having to face yourself. Let it go.
Now imagine the person you’d become if you actually lived this out.
If you felt fully. Spoke honestly. Risked boldly. Let go freely. If you stopped numbing, stopped shrinking, and started showing up with your whole heart.
Who would you be? How would your relationships shift? What would your days feel like? Th version of you...it’s not a fantasy. It’s already inside you, buried beneath fear, silence, and comfort. Start digging. Start becoming. Because that version of you? It's not waiting on more time. It's waiting on you.
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
—Oscar Wilde