The Parking Lot

Have you ever had a problem that you were unsure how to solve? You know there has to be a solution somewhere; however, the more you think about it, the further away the best answer seems to be.

There is one saying that is useful in this situation and that is “sleep on it”. It is a fantastic idea! It means just let your unconscious thoughts work away at finding a solution.

Another great idea that I love is when I have a problem and I just don’t have the time or shouldn’t be investing the time in trying to solve that problem immediately. I may have a presentation to give or an important meeting to attend to.

When this occurs and I am unable to give a problem or situation the attention it requires, I place the problem or situation into my mental parking lot until later.

I let my body and mind know that I will deal with it, just not yet. I then have the ability to focus on whatever it is that I should be investing my mental and physical and emotional energy into. When I place my issue into my parking lot, I am able to stay in the present.

Because I haven’t invested or wasted time on this, it actually allows me to make a better decision later. Deciding to put things in the parking lot is another way that I can take control of my life rather than being controlled.

Give it a go. It may just be another valuable tool that you can use to create a better life.

“Be an inspiration to yourself and
you will be an inspiration to others.”

Kissing The Big Excuses Goodbye

“At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, and no regrets.”
Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

There are basically two big excuses we all utilise:

The first one is: I can’t really help the way I am; after all, people can’t change their DNA.

What a great excuse this is. It easily excuses you from your behaviour. When you use these kind of excuses, you can place blame onto so many other people like your parents, your siblings, your grandparents, your teachers, your coaches.

However, guess what? It’s not that good an excuse after all. Research has shown that we actually do change and that approximately 95 percent of us do not have genetic reasons for illness, depression, fear, and many other conditions.

The second excuse is related to the way you were raised, your early start in life and your conditioning by your family. Many of us hold onto this so tightly that we honestly believe we are the way we are because of the actions and behaviours of those around us.

I have good news! Just because you were raised in a certain way, that does not mean you have to automatically pass that onto future generations.

There is a science behind this and I’m not going to get too technical. The science shows that there are these funny little non-things called memes which are thoughts that you allow to become your master - and make no mistake about it, every excuse you’ve ever used is really a meme disguised as an explanation.

You can deprogram yourself from these memes (mind viruses). A virus isn’t concerned with whether it’s contributing to your well-being or your ill-being because it only wants to penetrate, replicate, and spread. You don’t have to be a victim of anything that was transferred from another mind to yours. Your beliefs have made these memes seem like second nature to you. While excuses are just thoughts or beliefs, you are the decider of what you ultimately store away as your guide to life.

“The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells,
is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world
by habitually fashioning our characters in the wrong way . . .
We are spinning our own fates, good or evil . . . “
from the Principles of Psychology, by William James

The Habitual (Subconscious) Mind

If something is subconscious and thus automatic, it’s believed that you don’t have a choice in the matter. And to me, that’s the most regrettable thing about this subconscious model: believing that you don’t have a choice. The truth, as I see it, is that everything you think, say, and do is a choice - and you don’t need to think, speak, or act as you’ve done for your entire life. When you abandon making choices, you enter the best world of excuses.

Examples:

Changing your swimming stroke - many people, when they are taught to swim, are taught to breath after every fourth stroke. However, if you wish to change this, you can. If you wish to breathe after every third stroke, you can. It takes a conscious effort that you have to repeat and repeat and repeat. Over time change is possible.

My daughter, Alanah, broke her right arm. Within two weeks, she was very competent with her left arm and hand for doing most things. Six weeks later, she was really capable with her left arm. Her handwriting was just as good as it had been with her right hand. When her arm was taken out of the plaster, it took us a little while to retrain her to use her right hand and arm again. She had been completely reprogrammed.

When I was first working full time, my boss had a beautiful speaking voice and I loved it. It occurred to me that as a child I didn’t think she would have spoken like that. So I asked her and she told me that when she was about 19 years old, she had decided that she wanted to have a beautiful speaking voice. She trained herself over a number of months to start to speak differently.

My point being that we can train ourselves to change. We just have to decide to do it. Be conscious of our behaviour and start behaviouring in the way we choose!

“Be an inspiration to yourself and
you will be an inspiration to others.”

Affirmations To Eliminate Excuses

We all use excuses at some time – whether it is to procrastinate, delay, deny, move the blame elsewhere … However, if you want to take action then perhaps when you find yourself using an excuse or wanting to use an excuse, you just start telling yourself something that will move you forward.

It will be difficult - I have the ability to accomplish any task I set my mind to.

It’s going to be risky – All things have an element of risk; however, being my true self involves no risk, it is me being genuine and authentic

It will take a long time – It doesn’t matter how long it takes to live my life to the fullest and accomplish my dreams.

There will be family drama – My family wants the best for me always.

I don’t deserve it – We all deserve to become the best version of ourselves.

It’s not my nature – Extending myself to become the best I can be means I can step outside of what I know even if it is just a little bit.

I can’t afford it – I can afford anything that I set my mind to because I am connected to abundance

No one will help me – When I take the first step, I will be amazed at the people who are there to support me to take the next step. The right people are already here.

It has never happened before – I am a leader and I will show everyone around me that there is a new way.

I’m not strong enough - My strength comes from deep within me and when I take action it moves to action.

I’m not smart enough - I am a genius in my own right.

I’m too old (or not old enough) - The age of my body has no impact on what I do and what I can accomplish.

The rules won’t let me - I live my life according to heavenly rules

It’s too big - I think about the first step I need to take, when I think small, I accomplish great things.

I don’t have the energy – I feel passionately about my life, and this passion fills me with excitement and energy.

It’s my personal family history – Everyone around me has done the best they could with the knowledge they had. The experiences I have had allowed me to become the person I have become.

I’m too busy - as I simplify my life, I free myself to live the life of my dreams.

I’m too scared - I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

The key is to use these statements when you find that you are using excuses. They will help you take that next important step to get started or to keep going when you are feeling stuck. Embrace the affirmations and see what ones work for you. What ones allow you to take that next step so you can eliminate excuses and create your life on your terms.

“Be an inspiration to yourself and
you will be an inspiration to others.”

Reclaim Your Power

You have the power to live more frequently Above the Line and to only make brief visits Below the Line.

To briefly provide an understanding of what I meant about above and below the line, I want you to picture a line and above the line, written are:

• Take responsibility
• Think of solutions
• Look for the lessons
• Keep my power

Below the line are written the words:

• Blame others
• Make excuses
• Whinge
• Victim (give my power away)

It can be tough acting “Above the Line”. That’s why the majority don’t do it most of the time. That is why people selling “Magic Bullet” products do so well. You know, the products that promise you will make a heap of money without doing any work? Of course it takes effort and persistence to succeed but that is nowhere as sexy on a sales letter. That’s why so many people get disappointed because they thought they were buying a solution but what they were really buying was hope. They thought by handing over money, they could transfer the responsibility for their success to someone else.

Don’t give your power to others. Reclaim your power and accept that if you are to succeed, it is YOUR responsibility. It is up to YOU to implement the programs you are studying. Up to YOU to ask questions of your mentors if you have trouble implementing. Up to YOU to challenge yourself to not act like a victim and look at what you DO have the power to do.

Can I change?

Can I make dramatic changes in the way I live? Is it possible to change self-defeating thoughts and behaviours that have been my constant companion for as long as I can remember? Can I really do a U-turn and deprogram myself when I’ve never known any other way to think and act? I’ve been depressed (or stubborn, overweight, scared, clumsy, unlucky, or any other description you choose to insert here) my entire life. Is it even feasible or practical for me to contemplate removing these old and familiar ways of being and open myself up to a brand-new me?

Your beliefs, all of those formless energy patterns that you’ve adopted as your self-image, have the ability to change dramatically and give you the power to conquer unwanted traits, or what you unhappily presume to be your fate.

Why not give it a go? What have you got to lose? You can stay where you are and nothing will change or you can take a chance that by changing something, even something small, your life will start to be different.

Take back your power and take charge of your life. Live life on your terms, with your dreams.

“Be an inspiration to yourself
and you will be an inspiration to others.”