Empowering Your Mind

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Do you sometimes want to change a habit, achieve a goal or cultivate a talent, but something holds you back? It may be something that you think you should want. Or it’s something you really do want, but your beliefs don’t accept it. Many people have this problem. They have a vision of where they want to be, but their beliefs can’t support pursuing or fulfilling their intention.

For instance, Nancee was a business consultant and wanted to help business owners develop better business and marketing plans. But unconsciously, she was afraid of disappointing her clients because she couldn’t wave a magic wand and make their problems disappear. Her service would have improved their bottom line, but she held herself back from promoting her business. Once she realized that she wasn’t responsible for how her clients acted on her guidance, she followed the marketing plan she’d created, and her business grew.

Your Heart and Vision Must Align to Make Progress

Nancee’s heart, which was her beliefs and passion, had to align with her vision, which was her intentional destination, before she would take action. Some people think they want to achieve an objective, but their heart isn’t in it. Or they don’t want to take the actions they need to take to get there. They just aren’t invested enough in their vision. Unfortunately, they just don’t have the necessary passion to follow through on it. .

Other people have the heart, or the belief and passion, but they haven’t developed a vision. Flailing away, they try one thing after another. They confuse motion with action. And they’re so caught up with taking action that they don’t take the time to assess if they’re making any progress. Because they don’t know where they’re going, they don’t have a comprehensive plan of how to get there. They might have goals, but they don’t accomplish much unless they know where they want those goals to take them.

And still others have the belief that they can achieve what they want, and a vision of where they want to go. But that intention has been instilled in them by someone else. For instance, Robert’s father talked him into majoring in engineering in college. Once Robert got his degree and got a job, he found the work unsatisfying. Instead, he wanted to teach high school science classes. So he returned to college, got a teaching certificate and fulfilled his passion.

Is the Problem with Your Heart or Your Vision?

If you have a deep desire that isn’t being fulfilled, check either your heart or your vision. The problem will be in one of them. These two must be in alignment or your efforts will be useless and unsatisfactory. They feed each other, creating motivation and inspiration. When one is not in alignment, it’s like riding a bike with a single flat tire.

For instance, if the issue is with your heart, you won’t pursue your vision with enough energy. Your beliefs get in your way. Fear holds you back, or you simply won’t want your vision badly enough. You could also have other concepts that are sabotaging you, such as lack of self-worth or self-confidence. In this case, ask yourself, “What is undermining my progress?”

However, if the challenge is that you don’t have a clear vision, you take action, but spin your wheels. You don’t have a direction you’re moving towards. When you reach a goal, you backslide and have to start over again. Dealing with details takes precedence over moving forward so you stay in the same place. In this situation, ask yourself, “What do I actually want to accomplish with my efforts?”

Once you become aware of where the difficulty lies, you can begin to resolve it. If you need to work on your heart, or mindset, there are many resources to help you improve it. But if the obstacle is that you don’t have a clear vision, set aside the time to create one. Once you have your heart and vision aligned, it’s a natural progression for you to develop a plan that works for you.

This is an ongoing process. As you progress, you’ll discover that you’ll need to fine tune your beliefs, mindset and vision to continue to support you. You’ll be constantly balancing your heart and vision and correcting your course to make sure you remain on track. But because you have your heart and vision aligned, you’ll have your path clear before you.

Affirmation:
The Universe supports my every endeavor by guiding and directing my efforts. I recognize any beliefs that are holding me back and let them go. They no longer serve me. I now establish ideas, beliefs and attitudes that are in alignment with my dream. That dream is now clear and concise and I know that the Universe wants me to accomplish it. Everything I need is now provided.

Watch the accompanying video, Key Elements for your Success.