You may have heard it said before; we don’t let our Higher Power be big enough. We box that Power in, based on our experiences, not on the reality of the Power. So, what other areas of life are we also not allowing to be big enough? How is that holding us back?
We allow what other people think to guide us. Social media has influenced us exponentially since the dawn of Facebook, Instagram, and others. In the past, we may have been swayed by the opinions of others, but now we find ourselves trying to actively cultivate and influence the opinions others may have of us. This is draining and self-defeating and wastes time that could be used to dream big, hone skills and walk paths of purpose.
We allow past losses to derail us. Something we wanted to do and tried may have ended unsuccessfully for us. The timing or assets might not have been there, which are there now. But we don’t try again. We let our fears that we may not succeed stop us. A parent watching a child learn to walk encourages them to try again after each fall, and the falling trains the child in what works for walking. Why don’t we parent ourselves in the same way, focusing on the learning that comes from our missteps and encouraging ourselves to keep trying?
We listen too closely to negative or influential voices (a family member or employer) that discouraged us, instead of trusting our intuition, ourselves. Those voices can be loud. They may have been given their power at a time we did not have the knowledge or strength to put them in their proper place or ignore them altogether. They can grow in importance in our minds over time.
We don’t have to live this way. The following steps are available to us when we feel stuck, held back, or boxed in.
Remove the Shackles and Excavate the Obstacles
Commit to identifying which of the above negative influences, or other strongholds, keep you from dreaming big. Take the thought and care you put into buying a gift for a loved one, preparing a meal, planning an event, or dreaming about a vacation, and spend that same amount of time and effort to make a list of where you feel boxed in and what is causing that.
Replace the Voices
Confront the voices. Take back power from them. Remember that the voices to which we give such power are human and speak based on their issues, past, fears, or prejudices. Use your imagination to confront the people and what they said and speak to them about why they are wrong. We certainly used our imagination long enough to listen to their false narrative over and over again. Replace those voices with truths. For example, replace “You aren’t smart enough” with “I can gain any knowledge I need with time and research.” Replace “You’ll never be able to do that” with “I have the power to do anything for which I am willing to do the work.”
Let Your Dreams be Big
The only dreams not achieved are those not dreamt and then pursued. Set big goals by taking back your power to dream. Do your research in the areas you want to conquer. Engage trusted advisors, mentors, and friends who will speak encouragement into your life. Review past missteps to learn from them. Make concrete and measurable plans with steps and accompanying deadlines to gauge your progress. With these steps, you can break out of the box and into your biggest dreams.
Her Nexx Chapter invites you to join our free Community where women are connecting with each other’s stories, exploring different experiences, and transforming ideas.
The Future of Connection for Women
Follow us:
