When we see our business as a vehicle to creating a difference in the world, it’s easy to entangle running that business and its successes/struggles with our own personal journey of becoming whole. It’s meant to be so. But when that intertwining becomes more tangled up and trapped that’s when things healthy progress comes to a halt.
One of the biggest places of entanglement between the two from my experience is within our own thoughts and feelings … we are ENAMORED with them.
They are the ultimate distraction on the path to finding our purpose here.
We have a thought – “what I’m doing isn’t making a difference.” We have a feeling of discouragement and worthlessness. AND WE TAKE IT AS TRUTH.
Here’s something to take with you and keep close to your heart:
Just because we have a thought doesn’t mean we have to believe it.
Just because we have a feeling doesn’t mean we have to follow it.
When you have let negative thoughts and feelings consume your life, your work and your vision, you have derailed and no one is benefitting. Not you. Not your business. Not your people.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that feelings are always inaccurate and I’m not saying that they aren’t important. I’m AM saying that they are an accurate representation of the thoughts you believe to be true, the reality you are currently existing in and if nothing changes, they’ll be a foreshadowing of how you’ll end up.
It’s important to know when to listen to your feelings and when they are getting you stuck.
When your thoughts aren’t flowing anymore…
You may notice that you’re having the same feeling and thought over and over. You’ve just hit a loop – a time warp that’s halting your process. THAT is when – with a trusted coach or mentor – to slow down and take a look at what’s really going on there.
Not because you aren’t supposed to have thoughts and feelings, but because those thoughts and feelings are meant to flow like a river.
Once the energy is flowing again, stop obsessing. Get back to what you were doing.
Call to Truth:
If you’ve been getting off the path, sucked into the madness of each passing thought and accompanying feeling, let this be an invitation to return. To shift. To realize nothing is wrong with you. Thoughts and feelings flow. It’s in their nature.
You can commit to intentionally address the thoughts/feelings that need healing while also carving out some energy, time and resources to continue to create something of value to you in the world. Even if your pace is a little bit slower or your service is a little bit dialed back. We aren’t asked to be perfect before we have purpose.
And if you’ve been getting stuck in a loop, ask yourself:
• What is the loop that’s damming up the river?
• What can you do to unblock the flow?
You can spend your money, time and precious energy in being enamored and distracted by every thought/feeling you have – or you can choose to stay in flow. Please consider the latter option. Stay in flow. Your business needs you. Your people need you. Your world needs you.