The Back Door of Excuses

Our internal power comes from the way we choose to think feel and believe.

Throughout my years as a counselor, and life coach and now as an energy healer, I’ve discovered that no matter how hard some people work to improve their lives, no matter how much they have accomplished, or how good they feel about themselves, there is almost always one area of their lives where they feel powerless to create the next level of success.

We usually have a perfectly good reason worked out why that next level of success evades us.

We all have an inborn ability to make excuses and the excuses (reasons is what we call them when we talk to ourselves) come easily and automatically. 

Our tendency to have excuses become so ingrained that we think they’re natural and real and have power over us. Some of our excuses are obvious and some are so subtle that it takes a very keen eye to expose them.

I’ve come to think of excuses as the ‘back door’, the escape hatch that keeps us from going beyond our comfort zone.   It is often dark there, and when we get into this state, the light is too dim to even see a path.

You say I’d do ________, except that ___________. You fill in your excuse. It can look like the thing you’ll do ‘when’. You know, I’ll do that when I’m richer, more successful, weigh ten pounds less, am in better shape, have a partner, don’t have a partner, on it goes.

To really meet, to throw caution to the wind and go for it, get what you really, truly want, you must let go of limitations. Particularly your self-imposed limitations.

Our thoughts become things. They are real, powerful and have a life of their own. We do get what we want; we just sometimes put out mixed signals. Then we wonder why we can’t get ahead. Because we don’t believe it yet!

Words have power

When you finally decide that enough is enough, you say you are “sick and tired” of _____________. Guess what happens? Right. More sick and tired.  Words have power. Select them carefully. Listen to the words you are telling yourself. And then, take some steps – TODAY – to change how you phrase what you think and what you want.

Choose an area of your personal or business life where you’re not making progress – what are you telling yourself?

Contemplate each thought that you can use as an escape hatch that is blocking movement.  Write whatever comes up down, read it and repeat it.  What does it feel like?  These perceptions keep you from moving forward.  Let you thoughts flow, and keep your pen moving.  Don’t judge, argue with them or censor them.  Just allow whatever comes up for you.

You may find yourself rebelling against this idea. But try it.

Take this step towards success

Now try instead of saying “I’m so frustrated with what is happening as what I want doesn’t come my way” to “I accept this frustration” and “I release the idea of things not coming my way.   Say each statement 3 times and watch how your energy shifts.

Take back your power, what is yours to have and consciously claim your life as an “excuse-free” zone. Move away from the escape hatch.  When you look back at your life and see what you accomplished it will be well worth it…. YOU CAN make it happen!

Remind yourself that at every moment you have a choice to re-frame things.