Limits Exist Only In The Mind

I saw this sign after I gave my first Get Paid: Negotiation Workshop at Arnold Worldwide. I knew I had to snap a picture of it, because it was a reminder that came at the perfect time.

As I’ve been working my way through working more meditation into my life (my #40DaysPresent has officially ended, and I’m working on summing up EVERYTHING), I started reading “The Universe Has Your Back” by Gabrielle Bernstein. One of the things she talks about, is to learn to open up to everything that the Universe/God has to offer, and to ASK for reminders.

So, as I nervously made my way to Arnold Worldwide and started setting up, I asked for a sign. A sign that I was on the right path. A sign that I was supposed to be doing this.

The class went better than I could have ever expected – with insightful questions, open conversation and even some laughs. As the two hours wound down, I started to begin that was my sign, that people were writing down what I was saying and enjoying themselves.

As I was packing up, I noticed a mural that said “It’s not what you have, it’s what you make”, and went out to snap a picture. As I was taking the photo, one of the girls tapped me and said “I think you would also like this one” – and lo and behold there it was.

“Limits exist only in the mind.”

I let it sink in. If limits exist only in my mind, what have I limited MYSELF from doing, just by THINKING that I couldn’t do it?

What amazing things are waiting for you to realize that you CAN do it?

So, today, I’m sharing the photo and this story with you. Because, in the end, you have to trust yourself. You have to push yourself. No one else gets to make you YOU except for you.

This weekend, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone to be a part of my first Reiki circle.  Next week, I’ll give you a recap of it and WHY I laughed and smiled so hard the first time someone suggested I give it a try.

Until then, live big, love hard and get sweaty.

P.S. Mark your calendar – 3/27 is the next Get Paid: Negotiation Workshop… sign up now!

 

Why I’m Doing #40DaysPresent

Like many people, I consider my phone to be my third hand.

How else am I going to know what’s going on at all moments? How many people liked my last post? What if someone texts me and I don’t respond within 10 seconds?!

It’s been something that I realized, but wore like a badge of honor. If I’m always glued to my phone, that must mean I’m doing something important. It means that I’m in high demand. It means I’m working hard. It means I’m busy.

Right?

A couple weeks ago, Blake said something that got my mind racing. “You come home from work, and then, you are back on the phone still working.”

My first reaction? Um, I think you can all guess that. I was angry. I was appalled that he would think that I would be choosing someone else over him. I was emotional because here I am trying to work two full time jobs so we can have a little bit more money to put on a house.

In a flurry of hand waving and tears, I retreated to our room, trying to figure out what went wrong.

And then it hit me. Even though I was physically sitting right by him, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t present in the present. I was present in the white, blue and grey colors on my phone.

So, #40DaysPresent came to be.

Why 40 days? According to many religious, spiritual and yogic practices, 40 days is how long it takes to break negative habits, and embody new experiences.

Yesterday was my first day. I put a phone usage tracker on my phone,  and was shocked that I spent 5.5 hours of my day on my phone. SHOCKED.

AND that was with me consciously trying to put it down and putting my phone on Do Not Disturb after 7:30PM.

What am I challenging myself to do for 40 days?

  1. Meditate every morning for 10 minutse
  2. Track my phone usage, and to be more cognizant of when and WHY I pick up my phone (using RealizD – free app, no they did not reach out to me. I found them on the app store)
  3. Turn my phone to Do Not Disturb at 7:30PM.

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One of the biggest things I noticed yesterday, is that opening up Instagram & Facebook have just become a habit. So, going forward, I want to make sure I have a reason to open it – what am I hoping to accomplish/feel/find out by opening the app in that moment? Will it add to my present time experience, or will it take away from the present?

Being present in the present. That’s the ultimate goal. Every day is filled with 24 hours, and we don’t get those 24 hours back. We don’t get a moment to press “rewind”, and we definitley don’t get a “do-over”. For me, I want to savor every moment of my life – the good, bad and the ugly, and I don’t want to miss those beautiful moments because I’m tied to a back-lit screen.

You can follow along (or join me), by checking the hashtag #40DaysPresent, or my IG story (which will be LESS populated than it has been, but I will be on there)!

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What’s Your Mindset

How do you think?

Whoa – loaded question.

But seriously – are you an always positive thinker? A rigid “my way or the highway” thinker? A thinker that only takes facts and no emotion into consideration? What about the opposite? A fixed thinker, or someone who thinks about how your thinking can grow?

I recently read about the “fixed mindset” vs the “growth mindset” theory. Someone with a fixed mindset is “someone who believes their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits,” while someone with a growth mindset believes that their basic qualities can be grown / developed through hard work, dedication and grit.

Which one do YOU gravitate towards?

Truth is, studies show that the most successful people adopt the growth mindset way of thinking. Sure, there are people with high IQ’s, but if you don’t have the work ethic to put that high IQ to work developing something amazing… then what are you really left with?

I want to challenge you to be a little bit more aware of those thoughts, how you think about an issue, and most importantly, how you think about yourself.

Why?

Because thoughts lead to actions.

Actions lead to habits.

Habits build a lifestyle.

I’m hosting an online mindset challenge group in September. We’ll be combining workouts, meditation, and reading to learn more about how we can really craft the lifestyle and life that we crave. Want more info? Shoot me an email at thesweatbos@gmail.com

<3

The Sweat Life Boston