Overwhelm often stems from our actions and choices. Despite knowing better, we sometimes fall into patterns that lead us right back to that overwhelmed state. Recognizing this is the first step toward change. Overwhelm is not a state we must accept; it's a habit we can break. By identifying the root causes of our overwhelm, we embark on a journey towards a more focused and productive self.
On August 1st I started a digital detox.
What that means is I’m limiting or eliminating from my daily routine news, podcasts, and social media.
There is an epidemic of distraction occurring in our society right now and this has a big impact on our ability to live the life we truly want and dream of.
The impact of turning off all those inputs you’re hooked into all the time - even for a short time - cannot be overemphasized.
Have you ever pondered about the beauty and complexity of living life honestly and authentically?
The truth is, most of us wander through life under the impression we're embracing our genuine selves. But what I’ve noticed is most of us are like beautifully wrapped packages, layered with defenses and emotional strategies that keep us snug and secure.
We tend to be expert curators of our own image, masters of concealing our true selves beneath layers of protection, stowed away in the shadows.
Our self-crafted defenses, while comforting, keep us from basking in the glory of our true nature. Life yearns to experience our unique, unfiltered expression - with all its radiant colors, its bruises, and even its blemishes.
Imagine escaping to a retreat in the Brazilian rainforest to recharge, reconnect with your purpose, and break free from life's daily grind.
Last month I went on a retreat at Terraluminous, an ecovillage in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, and that’s exactly what occurred.
Overwhelm often stems from our actions and choices. Despite knowing better, we sometimes fall into patterns that lead us right back to that overwhelmed state. Recognizing this is the first step toward change. Overwhelm is not a state we must accept; it's a habit we can break. By identifying the root causes of our overwhelm, we embark on a journey towards a more focused and productive self.
If we have big goals we’re going for, fear can easily hold us back from taking the action on those. It’s a powerful emotion that stops us from stepping out of our comfort zone, taking needed risks, and learning new things.
We must learn to identify our fears and the ways they control or limit us. Overcoming fear is about recognizing the emotion without giving in to its desire to control our behavior. This is how we can get unstuck and start moving forward with our life.
Things that are new and stretch you beyond your perceived limits are in and of themselves, uncomfortable. These goals and pursuits may even induce anxiety or terror depending on how far outside of your comfort zone you’re traveling.
When striving to make significant changes in your life, it’s important to create structures, processes, and habits that will help move you through the fear and unease of being outside your comfort zone. These structures will maintain that you are taking action toward being the new person you are striving to be, even in the face of discomfort.
When you think about your future and all the things you want it to include, you likely forget about all the peaks and valleys involved in growth. It’s easy to see where we are now and the destination, and then draw a straight line. Growth is not linear. But even more than that, growth itself is not a destination: it’s a process (and a practice).
How much time do you spend trying to control things you cannot control? Maybe it’s your child, the speed of the washing machine, or the rush hour traffic.
There’s an idea that I discovered called the circle of influence. The idea behind this is that there are certain things that are within our control, things that we can influence.
And then there is the circle of concern. The circle of control is full of excuses, victimization, and blame. This circle has things we cannot influence, but we often still concern ourselves with.
The proactive approach to life is to spend more time focusing on the things we can change and influence.
If I asked you to think about what success is, you might tell me what it looks like.
“Financial security, a nice car, a family…”
So I want to challenge you to consider what success feels like.
Maybe it’s confidence, happiness, being in touch with your spirituality…
The difference between doing and being is the biggest factor in success. I’ve used my BE-DO-HAVE model with countless clients and helped them shift into feeling their success.
This post covers how success is actually obtained.
When your mind isn’t confused, when tasks and priorities are clear, there’s no overwhelm.
When your mind is focused, overwhelm is absent.
The problem is that stress ensues as we start to feel overwhelmed. And the more overwhelmed you feel, the more stress you create for yourself.
This is a vicious cycle. One that we’ve all felt at some point in time or another.
In that famous line from “The Fellowship of the Ring”, Gandalf strictly advises Frodo to hide the Ring of Power and not mention its existence in order to keep it safe from enemies.
Isn’t this how many of us live our lives? Keeping our own power hidden in order to stay safe from failure or embarrassment.
The irony is that if you truly understood this power, you’d realize there is no point in hiding it from the world.
One way our survival mechanism keeps us in our comfort zone is by sabotaging our own efforts to achieve more.
Any time we go about up-leveling our game, we will run directly into our internal saboteurs. We will attempt to sabotage our own big game or next level. This is simply the survival mechanism at work trying to keep us safe.
We all have the opportunity to be many things in this world, but unless we are working in alignment with our most authentic dreams and goals, a job title and a business license isn’t going to be enough.
You stand just before your Upper Limit embodying exactly who you are in this moment. All of the accumulation of action and progress you have made up until this point. You are the living manifestation of all the beliefs that you have about yourself and the world around you.
Most people are living a default life – you can predict where they’ll be in a few years by looking at how things have been going for them leading up to now.
In many cases, this is difficult for people to recognize due to the fact that they’ve been running on autopilot for so long.
This is why coaches prioritize empowering clients to challenge the status quo, or, in this case, the inertia of the default life.
I am someone who looks to the future as inspiration. My goals and dreams inspire me to continue to work harder, but in this daydream state, I failed to acknowledge how many of my goals and dreams I’d already accomplished.
A desk in an apartment triggered immense gratitude and allowed me to see that I’ve already “made” it.
Copyright © 2024 David Perry PURECOACH. All rights reserved.
