We all have moments in life when fear takes over and we react in ways that serve to protect ourselves. For example, have you ever been in a tall building or high on a mountain and looked down? The lurch in your stomach is telling you to step back.
Or maybe you’ve been faced with an opportunity to try something new. Does that little voice in your head start listing all the reasons why it was a BAAAAAAAAD idea?
Our mission is to live our best lives—and live with as much satisfaction and purpose as possible. The negative side of our incredible brain is in its ability to provide a firewall of protection to keep you “safe.”
Last year, when I decided to try cryotherapy which entailed standing nearly naked in a chamber of -180 degrees Fahrenheit. My brain shouted at me to run in the other direction and slide comfortably into the nice warm sauna. But I fought off the resistance as I considered all the therapeutic benefits of cryotherapy.
It’s the same as being confronted with your favorite comfort food while you’re on a strict eating protocol. There’s an inner voice that will seek to convince you a handful of chips, cookies or French fries are all ok. But in truth, it’s all a lie.
While certain messages are really important to hear, say, like taking shelter after a tornado warning, others that come from a more sinister place are to be ignored. The question is, how do you discern which voice is offering good advice and which one is keeping you from bold discoveries, exciting adventures and meaningful experiences?
The “lie” can be detected by taking the following steps:
- Ask yourself what is being said-define the statement.
- Consider whether the message is an actual benefit to you or something that sets you back from your efforts.
- Decide whether the thoughts are just a way of keeping you from growing and improving or they are founded in objective truth.
In order to continue your quest to live with purpose, try and tune into the voices in your head and the messages received. You may better determine what truly protects you—and which voice is trying to keep you from growing and becoming.
What “lies” have you heard and what have you done as a result?
