Mind Matters: Creating Your Reality
Read Time
5 min.
"Thought is not reality, yet it is through Thought that our realities are created." - Sydney Banks
A few years ago, I was in Dubai. Now Dubai has an incredible amount of activities to offer travellers: fantastic architecture, fabulous fine dining, beautiful beaches, and the ancient sprawling desert that stretches out from the modern city.
To explore the vast expanse, some friends and I decided to do a desert tour. So we loaded into trucks in the city and headed towards the sand. When we reached the edge of the desert, our guides got out and deflated our tyres to give us better traction on the sliding sand.
We cruised around the desert for hours, exploring dunes and enjoying the hospitality of the locals. Then, when it came time to head back to the city, we drove out to the edge of the desert and stopped, needing to get the tyres ready before we drove on the roads.
It would be easy to only think of the apparent solutions in a situation like this. For example, we'd either need an air compressor at a gas station or an air pump.
One small problem… we were nowhere near a petrol station, didn't have any air pumps or compressed air.
So what did our guides do?
In a move I never expected, one of our guides grabbed some lighter fluid, poured it around the tyre, lit it up, and bang; the tyre popped back on the rim.
An innovative, unexpected solution - just like that.
“Stay open to new solutions and alternative ways of thinking. There are other ways of getting the results we want.”
Many of us go through life unknowingly limited by our minds and thoughts. We get stuck in the habits we've created, and we ignore other ideas and possibilities outside of our awareness.
We have, unintentionally, trapped ourselves with our thinking.
But the trap isn't permanent by any stretch. Growth and change are always options, and being aware and acknowledging our mindset is the first step in getting out of it.
Escape From Your Mindset Trap
We don't wake up in the morning wanting to feel trapped. On the contrary, we all want to feel in control and present.
“When we're trapped in a mindset, we're not thinking about other ways of doing things. And this limits us.”
We can end up stifling our ability to see and engage in opportunities. It limits our possibilities. I want you to be LIMITLESS.
Success is a funny thing. In some ways, it can be more limiting than failure.
Think about it: when we try our hand at something, and it works, we say, "Hey, that worked. So this is how I will do things from here on out." But if we fail, we go, "OK, how can I do this differently so that next time it'll work."
See what I mean? Success can make us think that there is only one way of doing things: how we do them that works.
Our thoughts create our reality. So when we think that there is only one way of doing things, that is what we get—just the one option.
Breaking out of this thought pattern requires two things:
The awareness of the mindset trap itself. Recognise that we can all get stuck in a mode of thinking.
The desire to get out of it. As soon as we start working to innovate new solutions, they will come.
Sometimes all a person needs to enact massive change in their life is a relatively subtle shift in perspective or insight. For example, simply questioning why we do what we do can create profound shifts in perception and perspective. That's all it takes to gain access to many other opportunities.
But changing our thinking and behaviours doesn't stop there. To really expand our possibilities, it's not just about getting to the new idea but what we do to create and experience ongoing success.
Remember to Celebrate
Introspection and self-reflection are invaluable assets to any person's array of mental capabilities. Being able to step outside ourselves will put us at a distinct advantage. In addition, reflecting on our strengths and shortcomings, skills and tendencies will provide us with the opportunity to improve and excel.
Many of my clients are high-achievers; they know what they want, set their minds to get it and go after it full force ahead. They are focused, determined, and effective in their drive to create success for themselves.
But there's a catch. They find it difficult to be fulfilled and satisfied. High-achievers are constantly pushing, constantly chasing, continually going after that next thing, that next achievement. They define themselves by their accomplishments and can find it challenging to recognise the impact they create. And as such, many are left feeling perpetually dissatisfied and craving the more they will never really get.
Highly successful people rarely take the time to celebrate their wins or successes. I think this is a mistake. The importance of celebrating success is crucial in developing a true sense of accomplishment.
We can practice giving ourselves time and space to acknowledge and celebrate our achievements. We don't have to rush to the next big challenge when we hit certain milestones. Doing something that takes us away from our usual environment can teach our minds and bodies to down-regulate after a success, and then up-regulate when it's time to get back to work.
It can feel hard to celebrate before we've hit the end goal, whatever that might be. But keep in mind that every completed task, every milestone passed, and each step taken is an achievement and something worth celebrating.
We deserve to feel happy and satisfied with our work and lives.
Additionally, the celebration doesn't just give us time to reflect on what we've done so far; it provides us with the space to rest before moving on to the next task.
Burning Out Doesn't Help You Or Anyone Else
While pushing ourselves and striving to achieve the most that we can is admirable and highly beneficial to creating success in our businesses and lives, it is not always the most sustainable thing for our life or our mental health.
If you've ever travelled on an airplane, they make the same announcement every time: "In the case of an emergency, please put your own oxygen mask on before helping others."
This goes for our day-to-day life as well. If we are constantly go-go-going, never taking time to rest and reset, we will burn out.
I talk with so many highly motivated, competent individuals who push themselves so hard - it's like trying to drive a car at full speed all of the time.
“Your potential is unlimited. We tend to limit our capability by our thinking, behaviours and habits. You owe it to yourself to put yourself in the best possible position.”
Perspective and mindset are everything. I believe that we can have everything we want out of life and still do right by ourselves and give our minds and bodies a fair chance to settle and feel good.
I want to help you get there: https://www.alifewithbalance.com/contact-us
