As one of my monthly goals is to meditate every day I have signed up for a free meditation challenge with Oprah and Deepak. This 21-day challenge focuses on manifestations of success. Feel free to follow along, try it yourself and/or comment below.
Smart Choices Smooth the Path
Q1) Today we learned that success depends on smart choices, and smart choices are not bound by old habits and beliefs. List a few of these beliefs and habits that hold you to your past.
One is that I need to be loyal to people. That I can’t change my loyalty to others. Once loyal, always loyal. It has held me back because I’ve kept people in my life who are toxic to me. These people hold me back from growing and reaching my true potential.
Another is that I make the choice to give up very easily. It has always been easier for me to quite than to fail, but in doing that I’ve also never given myself the chance to succeed. Just because I’ve hit a rough patch or am having a hard time doesn’t mean I will fail, it just means that I have to work a little harder at the moment.
One of the biggest choices I’ve made is to see life in black and white. That there is a right way and wrong way, with no gray area. I don’t allow myself to be flexible in my thinking. If I can’t do things a certain way then I can’t do it at all. It holds me back from abstract thinking and problem solving I need in life.
Q2) Consider how being afraid to act or explore new avenues reinforces inertia and prevents you from taking timely action. Write down one new choice you can make today that encourages you to go beyond the comfortable, safe, predictable choices you make unconsciously. It could be as simple as trying a new dish on the lunch menu, or starting a conversation with a work colleague you normally walk past.
I have been neglecting my YouTube channel because I fell into my depression for a while and stopped filming. I want to make a video explaining why I have been missing but have been too afraid to act. I think that if I can make the video about why I haven’t been filming and explain my depression and anxiety to my viewer that they would understand and be supportive of me. I’m just afraid that some won’t and will attack me for it but if I choose to be afraid I might not get the support from others. I should face this fear and be brave.
Q3) It is important to be aware of our patterns of static choices so that we can change that habit and opt for dynamic choices. List some of the uncomfortable situations that lead you to make safe, static, and rigid choices when it comes to your relationships, finances, and career.
In my relationship the biggest uncomfortable situation it to leave the relationship all together so I play it safe by staying. I know what to expect from my husband and a lot of it isn’t good. I’m afraid of what it will be like to be a single parent and if I will ever find someone else to love me (not that I feel like my husband loves me) so I stay static. I really should be brave and leave, maybe not to end the relationship but to challenge it to see if it is a relationship worth keeping.
Financially I live paycheck to paycheck so I always play it safe with my money. I have two kids to think about so I’d rather play this one area safe rather than sorry until I have a little extra money to throw around.
I am a stay-at-home mom so taking risks with my kids is hard. I always want to protect them and make sure they are safe and sound but I think I need to allow them to take age-appropriate risks. I am always so protective of them because of my poor upbringing that I’m sure I stifle their creativeness and their own choices. I think in some situations I need to step back and allow them to explore.
Q4) Use this space to reflect further on your experience today.

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