Ghosts Delay Progress

Man often becomes what he believes himself to be.  If I keep
saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible
that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it.  On
the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely
acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the
beginning.—Mahatma Gandhi 

As I read the above quote by Mahatma Gandhi, it brought up my saboteur beliefs regarding my writing ability.  Whether it be a recommendation, newsletter, announcement, answering emails, etc., it takes me a great deal of time and thought mixed with self-doubt and resistance to write.

I love writing, yet the inner critics put their hooks in and it takes me forever to get started most of the time.   For example, I find other things to do before writing that I pretend are a priority.  When preparing to do my monthly newsletter, I spend more time deciding the theme.  It can even take days!  Now that sounds pretty ridiculous to take so long to write anywhere from a few words to 1,000.

However switching beliefs requires understanding how gremlins work and how to lower their influence takes practice.  They are ghosts of the past.  They have been around a long time. 

Gremlins started their mayhem at a very early age; from what I have read, somewhere between ages 2-7.  That makes sense when you think about how we learn to navigate in our environment begins when we are toddlers.  We learn from those around us what we should and shouldn’t do.  We learn our values of what’s right and wrong.  We learn what we are expected to learn to avoid the loud growls of the “Big Bad Wolf.” The reasonable conclusion of a youngster when scolded is to believe there is something wrong with him/her.  

Next time I will share 5 tips to gain freedom from the clutches of ghosts past!

Comments

  1. I know these gremlins very well. They can be pretty
    paralyzing especially when you are entering a new realm in your life. When you are just beginning to find out who you are and why you never fit in, they loom up and say, "I told you so," in such a painful way. It takes a lot of courage to push them aside and say, "There is nothing wrong with being different."

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  2. Yes, it does take courage to follow your own path - but OH so worth it! Congratulations to being true to yourself and not letting the gremlins dis-courage you!

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