Small Matters

That Post-Inspiration Paralysis

A few of you replied to the email last week to tell me how much you loved what I wrote. You were brought to tears. You were inspired. You want to do it. Really. Sing your big and beautiful swan sang. Make your mark. Feel proud of yourself. Go big.

So what happens now? I’ve been coaching for awhile and I’ve learned that there is a certain paralysis that can come after a big jolt of inspiration. We start to binge on a giant helping of “I’m not ______ enough.” Our ass sinks into the couch. We get busy. Overwhelmed with the minutia of our lives. Some crises emerge. We get sick. Your own pattern of paralysis revisits you and pretty soon you are far removed from that exciting energizing stand-up-and-move-into-action feeling. And then like a flash you don’t even remember what that inspiration was about. You question if it existed at all.

In order to not get stuck we have to counteract the I’m-not-enoughs. In no particular order here are some strategies to do just that. Do one. Do them all. Or something in between.

1. Recognize your self-talk. Catch yourself saying, “I’m not enough” or whatever negative self-talk you’ve got in your head.
2. Ignore the negative self-talk or replace it with positive self-talk or just respond with, “Nope that’s not entirely true”.
3. Take an inventory of your gifts, skills and strengths.
4. Give to someone else expecting nothing in return.
5. Take one small step towards your goals or bigger vision.
6. Write down what you are grateful for about your life as it is right now.
7. Write down what you are grateful for about your gifts, skills, and strengths.
8. Write down what you are grateful for about your goals/vision.
9. Think about your values, what is important to you and how that is tied to your goals/vision.
10. Recognize how far you’ve come. In the last 10 years or in the last day.
11. Write down one thing you did this week that you are proud of.
12. Don’t give up. Keep going slowly but surely in the direction of your inspiration.

This key is to remember that lesson that gratitude teaches us time and time again: We can change our perspective. About the world around us. About what is possible. About ourselves.

And when we can do that we are never stuck. And when we can do that we are giving a beautiful gift to ourselves and to the world.

 

 

With any act of unconditional service no matter how small, our biochemistry actually changes, our mind quiets down, there is this rise in gratefulness. This inner transformation fundamentally shifts the direction of our lives.
~Nipun Mehta

What small thing are you grateful to do to be of service to others?

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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]