If you’ve watched the sun set on another day and noted the yawning gap between your dreams and your progress, you’re not alone. Clearing the way to accomplish the things that are most important to us can be daunting.
What a difference it can make to view life through the lens of possibilities rather than the lens of problems. Most of us need to clean the glasses through which we view the world. Some may need a whole new prescription to be able to see clearly again. “What you are aware of, you can direct; what you are oblivious to directs you.” (Randy Gage)
This is precisely why we need each other. When we get stuck in our own heads, it can become an unhealthy place. We typically need someone to speak the truth in love to awaken us to aspects of ourselves. In Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence wrote “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the duty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
I want to be among the dangerous women who not only dream, but who take action, don’t you? This requires guarding ourselves from the dream-stealers; the enemy within. Dream-stealers can be defined as those tenacious obstacles that get in the way of goals and accomplishments.
“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”
Winston S. Churchill
Seven Dream-stealers
- Perfectionism – A form of self-abuse. Ouch. It’s not a quest for the best but is a trap where you allow the harshest voice in your head to be your boss.
- Comparison – Let’s call it what it really is – Envy! It can be described as the art of counting another’s blessings instead of your own.
- People Pleasing – Seek validation rather than confirmation. Pleasers tend to open the gate to their time and energy – failing to set boundaries. This can result in resentment and burn-out for starters.
- Imposter Syndrome – The critical voice in your head that tells you you’ll never be good enough. Research shows that both men and women experience it and up to 92% of people – particularly high achievers – deal with it at some point.
- Distraction – Those who suffer with BSOS- otherwise known as Bright Shiny Object Syndrome have to learn to starve distraction and feed focus.
- Fear of Change (or Stuck in Your Comfort Zone) – Studies show that at the end of life, 84% of people regret what they haven’t done. Opportunities missed make you POOR – Passing Over Opportunity Repeatedly.
- Self-sabotage – There are innumerable ways we engage in self-sabotage. Blame and procrastination are two big ones that didn’t get singled out above. What would you add to this list?
If you deny that you have an enemy within, there’s an acronym for that.
Denial is what I refer to as a blind spot. It’s called that because YOU can’t see it!! Let me point out the captial “I” in the acronym represents “I GOT THIS”. In our self-sufficiency, we can be deceived into thinking we can find all the answers on our own. We fail to ask for help. This mind-set creates isolation – not a good thing. Interdependency is key to a successful and productive life. Self-sufficiency is over-rated.
If you want to slay your dream-stealers, let’s connect. I have a battle record that makes me fierce.