Are you REALLY ready to shift your mindset?

Too many times I come across women – or people for that matter, who say they want change.  When I dig into their desire for change, they seem to have it all figured out.  They know why they feel the way they do, they say they know what they should do, but just can’t figure out why things are changing.  Well, I’m here to tell you that most of the time you only think you know.  The thing about mindset is that when it is stuck in a certain place, the way you process information is based on that perspective.  Now, I’m not saying that perspective is wrong, but what I am saying is, your growth and change is only as possible as your ability to see things from a different point of view.  For example, say you are wearing glasses with a blue tint.  Everything you look at is going to be a shade of blue (and blue by the way is a beautiful color).  Unless you are willing to acknowledge that you can only see blue and that changing your glasses to an orange tint, may actually be the only way to give you a different view, you will always just see blue.  Your mindset works in very much the same way.  Having a fixed mindset not only detracts from your ability to see growth, it also keeps you in the state you are in.  The first step in changing your mindset is actually acknowledging that it needs to be changed in the first place. 

Here are some things you can do to shift your mindset:

Remember, the absolute first step is cultivating the desire to change.  I am 100% sure that if you do not start with a willingness to change, you will continue to spin your wheels looking for peace, forgiveness, or any other state of being you seek.  One other hint: willingness begins with accepting change is necessary.

Surround yourself with positivity.  There are so many things going on around us every day.  The news, social media, your friends and family, coworkers – whatever stimuli is in your purview.  You don’t often have control over how positive or negative those messages are.  You do however have the ability to find ways to increase the positive messaging you absorb.  Find positive people with positive messages to follow on social media, find videos, books and speakers who focus on the positive.

Challenge your thoughts daily.  Challenge does not always mean change, but it does require you to dig deeper.  When you challenge your thoughts, you consider where they are coming from.  Are they coming from a place of fear, mistrust, or confusion or are they  coming from a place of peace, happiness and growth.  Even if you are not where you want to be you can start to form positive thoughts.  For example, “I am going to learn how to forgive”, is a growth perspective, “I can’t forgive” – is not.

Learn more about your mindset triggers – good and bad.  Everyone has triggers that set their thoughts off.  Music, laughter or a smile from a friend might provide you with happy thoughts.  Connecting with someone who caused you pain in the past – maybe not (yet).  When you learn how to differentiate between what gives you joy and what causes you frustration, you will be able to pin point where you have work to do.

Using these strategies is just the beginning of doing the work necessary to shift your mindset, but they serve as a clear foundation for moving forward.  Remember, you have to be willing to do the work necessary to start living a life beyond your wildest dreams!