I believe if you want to be effective in reaching your goals, living a life of joy, and experiencing your greatest potential, the most challenging roadblocks are the ones we put up for ourselves. The obstacles the world throws at us are much easier to navigate when we train our mind to be our ally instead of our opposition.
So how do we do that?
This is the concept I like to think of as “living beyond the box.” As we live our lives we construct this box through our own limiting belief systems.
Read on or click here to watch the video I made on this topic
For example, you may believe there is more to you than just your physical body, you may believe you are an infinite, spiritual being, but do you live your life from this perspective?
It may sound ridiculous, but consider this: do you think of yourself as infinite, or do you identify with how many years you’ve been on planet Earth? Your physical body may only be however many years old, but the essence of you, who you are as Spirit, has always existed and always will exist. This experience on Earth is just a pit-stop from the perspective of an infinite being.
Don’t get me wrong, our physical reality is real – but it’s not the full picture. We experience our physical reality and it can be a very challenging place to be. In life we experience pain and suffering, but when we identify with who we are beyond our physical experience, it can help us find a sense of peace within and strength to overcome. It helps to shift our perspective and tap into our greatest potential.
What is the key?
Remember: You are a spiritual being having a physical experience! Taking this from a concept into how you live your life is very empowering. When we stand on the foundation of who we are as Spirit, we are connected to our greatest strength, power and resilience. We are connected to the core truth of who we are.
To shift into this perspective day to day is a journey, and it starts with getting out of our own way. It starts with letting go of all the things that keep us from experiencing our infinite potential as our physical reality. So if you want to go beyond the box and get out of your own way in your life, here are 3 keys to consider:
- Let go of attachments to how you define yourself – when we define ourselves by our physical reality, we are attaching to an idea that may be part of how we express ourself, but as an infinite being nothing about our physical life can define me. When I form these attachments, not only is it based on an illusion, but I set myself up to suffer. For example, if I define myself by my job or through a relationship, and then I lose my job or the relationship ends, my whole world may turn upside down as I try to rediscover who I am. Our physical life is not a stable foundation to build an identity on.
This can be challenging, as we have a lifetime of programming where we’ve allowed the world to define us and we take on that identity. But when you can start to loosen your hold it frees you up to express yourself as you are, and continue to explore and express yourself as you grow and change. While the box can serve its purpose, it can also create limitation and attachment that keeps us stuck.
“We need to be ready to let go of who we think we are, to discover more of who we are.”
- Emptying the Cup – When we think we have everything figured out, we are unable to see new perspectives. To “empty the cup” is to come from a place of humbleness and say “I don’t know what I don’t know.” One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to embrace the perspective of “I don’t know, maybe.”
This is having the curiosity to explore the world with an open mind and embrace new perspectives. It’s not about finding The One and Only Truth, but about learning new perspectives. Often there is a little bit of truth on all sides, so when we can stay open we can be open to receive things as they are rather than distorting them through our own attachments.
“When we think we have it all figured out, we create a box that keeps us stuck.”
- Adopt a “let’s see” Attitude – The need to have all the answers leads us to judgement. We judge ourselves, we judge other people. We make assumptions. We define ourselves and others, we define the situation and come to a conclusion like “this is just the way it is.” This is another way we create the box that keeps us from seeing what is possible.
An alternative perspective is coming from an attitude of “let’s see,” which leaves us open to trying something new. When we come from this open perspective we have the freedom to try new things, and we have the freedom to fail and get up and try again. We can be informed by our past experiences, but an open mind allows us to keep learning and growing as we gain new experiences.
- Get Curious and Ask Questions – When you become the scientist of your own life, you keep testing and exploring, making new discoveries about what is possible. One thing that makes a good scientist is learning to ask the right questions. To get out of the box, we can ask ourselves questions like: what do I want in my life? How do I want to show up?
If we are stuck in the same cycles or patterns, we need to take new action to get a different result. Asking ourselves questions starts an inquiry that helps us to see more possibilities to explore. It opens roads we haven’t been down before that can take us to a new destination.
I share this reflection based on my own experience, and I truly believe that when we can get out of our own way, and we learn how to harness the power of the mind to support us rather than take us out, miracles are possible. It’s through finding peace within that we can be the greatest agents of positive change in the world.