DON'T BE A TREE

If you don’t like where you are, then move. You are not a tree! One of my favourite sayings. And yet so many of us stay where we are long after we have stopped enjoying it. It might be in a career that no longer satisfies us. A relationship that no longer brings us joy. A dream that stays on paper even though it makes our heart beat a little faster just thinking about it.

Yet we are all intelligent and incredible individuals with the power to do, have or become whatever we want. With only get one chance at life. So what’s going on? What holds us back and stops us going for ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ may be?

We think we have to have it all figured out. If we can’t see the exact path or destination then we shouldn’t start the journey, right? Absolutely not. In order to move forward, all you have to do is take one small step in the right direction, the rest will follow.

We care too much about what others think. This is YOUR life. And what other people think of the choices you make are none of your business. As long as they are making you happy and impacting positively on your life then it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. The truth is if you are constantly worried about pleasing everyone else (which is impossible anyway) then you will lose sight of who you are and what you really want anyway as you bend to their ideals. Imagine how gutting it would be to see those you feared were judging you achieve their dreams when you shelved yours worrying about their opinion!

We are waiting for things to happen. We’ve all looked at someone who seems to get all the lucky breaks and wondered when things will happen for us. It is said that there is no such things as luck, just times when opportunity meets preparation. What could you do to take action so you are ready for opportunity? What would change if you were to decide to make things happen, today?

 We are focused on what we don’t want. And yet what you focus on you give life to. Concentrating on what you DO WANT instead of what you don’t opens your mind, allows all of your thoughts to focus on how to achieve it and guides your choices and decisions purposefully.

We think failure is a ‘thing’ to be feared. It really isn’t. Otherwise we’d still all be crawling like babies for fear of looking silly whilst we learned to walk. Each attempt at something merely teaches us something else. And if we see failure as a teacher then we can learn to enjoy failing as it helps us grow and ultimately gets us to an even better place.

We are afraid. Too many of us waste precious energy imagining all the bad things that might happen if we put ourselves out there. Of all of the above and much more, But what about all the wonderful things that might happen. Aren’t they equally as likely? And actually, that fear you have…would it actually be the end of the world if it did happen? How would that compare with staying where you are now?

I’m not for one minute suggesting that all change is easy, but I am saying that it will be worth it. And it all starts with the single yet brave decision to take a step in the right direction, to welcome change, to take control and make it happen.

Don’t be a tree. Be the butterfly.