self-help » Empowering Your Mind

Guided Meditation to Overcome Resistance to Your Goal

Dec 112019

Resistance to achieving a goal is natural. It’s a response of your inner mind to your feeling uncertain about the change that comes with achieving a goal. When you’re committed to a goal, but the resistance persists, it can be discouraging. This guided imagery meditation can begin to dissolve your resistance to moving forward and getting on course.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. I’d like to share a short meditation to help you overcome any subconscious resistance to your goal, vision or dream.

Resistance is natural. It means that you’re leaving your comfort zone, where you feel secure. The subconscious wants to keep you safe, so it creates anxiety and resistance in the form of procrastination, negative self-talk and the like. I’m sure you know what it is for you, right?

Well, though it doesn’t feel like it, your subconscious is performing a service for you. It’s helping you decide if your goal is more important than the uncomfortable feelings that will surface to keep you in place.

If you are committed to your goal, you can use this guided imagery meditation to convince your subconscious of your intent.

If you want, close your eyes. Imagine an image for your resistance, in whatever way your resistance manifests. It could be procrastination, fear, self-doubt, an old belief or something else.

Your image could be literal, or it could be symbolic, like a locked door, an anchor or a wall. It could also be simply a sense or feeling or a sound. Accept whatever image comes to mind. Imagine it bright, strong, and big and close to you.

Now shifting your attention to one side or the other, beside it, imagine an image for your goal, vision or dream. Again, it could be literal, like you accomplishing your goal, or it could be symbolic, like a sunrise. It could be a sense of satisfaction or the sound of people clapping. Accept whatever image comes, but imagine this one is faded, weak and small and a little bit of a distance from you.

Realize your resistance is trying to keep you safe. But it’s doing it now in a way that’s not helpful. You are committed to your vision, dream or goal, and are willing to face the uncomfortable feelings that might rise as you move forward. As they surface, you remind yourself that they’re just your subconscious being concerned for you.

As you understand this, the image for your resistance begins to fade, to weaken, to become smaller and recede away from you, into the distance. It’s served its purpose and knows it’s ok for you achieve your vision, goal or dream. As it fades, your image for your goal begins to become brighter, stronger, and bigger and comes closer to you. It fills your world.

You know the actions you need to take to make this goal, vision or dream a reality. You feel confident and eager to now take the steps necessary to move forward. You take this confidence with you throughout the day and days to come.

Open your eyes.

This meditation won’t do all the work to get you on course. It’s a big part of it, but you actually need to take definite actions, specific ones to move you forward. Actions convince your subconscious of your sincerity and dedication, and ease its concerns about your safety. With that, your subconscious will minimize its resistance and it will help you to achieve your goal.

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision blueprint at www. Linda-AnnStewart.com/setyourcourse.html. You’ll receive the blueprint, as well as tips and directions about the 4 vital areas that support you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. What actions can you take right away that will begin to dissolve your resistance? Take care.

Read the accompanying article, Are You Resisting Your Vision?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

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Dec 092019

When you are having trouble getting positive about your life, write out how you’d like your life to be. Don’t be concerned with the details of how those things could happen, just script out what you’d like it to look and feel like. Feel how it is to have it the way you want. Get excited and enthusiastic. As you’re creating the script, you may come up with some ideas of what to do to move it along. Get those down, and then pick one to act on. Emotion is what gets things moving, and positive emotion opens the floodgates for the Universe.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Are You Resisting Your Vision?

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Dec 052019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Do you find yourself putting on the brakes when you’re pursuing a dream, vision or goal? You could find yourself procrastinating, allowing yourself to be distracted or just feeling uncomfortable about moving forward. This is your subconscious mind causing you to resist taking the actions you need to bring your vision to life.

Your subconscious isn’t a bad guy; it’s just following previous instructions from you. If you’re feeling at all anxious or uncertain about your goal, your subconscious will interpret that as you feeling threatened about change. Since the role of your subconscious is to keep you safe, it will throw up roadblocks to maintain the status quo.

Reasons You Resist

There are three major reasons why you resist taking action:

1. You have the wrong vision. Although you have an idea of what you want, it may not be the right direction for you.
• You’re following a goal someone else laid out for you. For example, someone told you what worked for them, and expects it will work for you, too. What part of your dream excites you the most?
• You’re violating your values. Family time is important to you, but your goal requires you to sacrifice that time to be able to accomplish your goal. How can you adjust your vision to support your values?
• You’re out of alignment with who you are. For instance, you could be an introvert trying to become the best cold calling salesperson in the office. What best aligns with your skills and personality?

2. Fear is getting in your way. You’re afraid of the unknown or changes that might happen.
• You feel intimidated to leave your comfort zone. When you try new things, you feel uncertain and uncomfortable. But if you don’t spread your wings, your world will contract.
• You’re afraid of criticism. When you start making changes, it draws attention to you, and others may object to how you’ve changed. You don’t exist to live according to other people’s expectations.
• You’re afraid of the extra responsibility. By taking on more, you aren’t sure of your ability to handle new things. The only way to grow in confidence is to take risks and learn.

3. Old beliefs are undermining you. You were programmed with these ideas long ago and they’re still controlling you.
• You don’t feel worthy to achieve your vision. Either you don’t take any action or you sabotage yourself whenever you get close to accomplishing your dream. Adopt a new self-image that reflects the possibility that you deserve the best.
• You identify too much with your old attitudes. How you describe yourself determines the actions you take. Change the way you view yourself to be more in agreement with someone who undertakes your goal.
• You don’t feel capable. Just because you don’t know everything right now doesn’t mean you can’t learn. Each step will bring you new knowledge and confidence.

Dissolve Your Resistance

Identifying what’s sabotaging you is the first step to success. Ask, “What is my resistance trying to tell me?” Or, “What part of my vision am I resisting?” Once you know what your reason is, you can begin to overcome the resistance.

Instead of reviling your subconscious and its resistance, appreciate that it’s been so helpful. Realize that your subconscious has been trying to keep you safe. Communicate to it that this thinking is outdated and now change is needed. Adjust your attitude or actions to ease your subconscious mind’s concerns.

There is a reason behind the resistance to your dream, vision or goal. Once you discover what that is and what it’s trying to do for you, you’ll be able to work with and through the block. Ultimately, you’ll be much more successful by listening to what your resistance is trying to tell you.

Affirmation:
My subconscious mind is trying to help me at all times. But sometimes it does it in outdated ways. It’s now safe for me to move forward with my dreams. I take responsibility for my actions and the results. I’m worthy of all the best Life has to offer and am capable of far more than I know.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Overcome Resistance.

As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. To achieve a 90-day goal more easily, sign up for her FREE comprehensive Strategic Vision blueprint at www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/setyourcourse.html. You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.

Assumptions Don’t Serve You

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Nov 072019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

People make assumptions all the time. There’s even a cliché for it. “When you assume, you make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me.'” Not very classy, but it makes the point. It means that you suppose that you know all the facts when you form an opinion, when you don’t. And you aren’t questioning that maybe you you’re missing evidence on which to formulate your conclusions. You’re building a house on quicksand and don’t know it.

For instance, I’ve had a lot of people comment on my name, Linda-Ann. Many of them assume that I’m called by my first and middle name because I grew up in the south. They’re basing their assumption on some facts. Fact: I grew up in the south. Fact: Many men and women in the south are called by their first and middle names. Conclusion: That’s why I hyphenated my name to Linda-Ann.

The facts are true, but the conclusion is false. It’s missing another fact. I go by that name because, when I was young, my two best friends on my street were also named Linda. Everyone was confused when we played together. We never knew which of us was being referred to when someone called, “Linda!” said, “Linda did that” or, “Linda, stop that!” To tell us apart, our folks and friends started using both our first and middle names.

Facts Are Important

People draw the wrong conclusion because they don’t have all the facts. None of us know everything about another person or a situation. We can’t read someone’s mind. That’s why it’s dangerous to assume you know why someone did or said something to you. You draw a conclusion based on faulty or incomplete information. It doesn’t serve either you or the person you’re evaluating, because you’ve probably made an incorrect assessment. And you make flawed decisions and take actions accordingly.

For instance, you could think that you lost a sale because you didn’t deal with the prospect’s questions well enough. Instead, it could be that it just wasn’t the right product or service for them. Or you could assume that a friend is angry at you over something you said. But it could be that what you said triggered an unhappy memory and they’re just trying to process the emotions that have surfaced.

Unfortunately, assumptions lead to creating whole stories around the supposition. And those stories become real to you. They can keep you stuck, affect relationships, further miscommunication, and block opportunities and progress.

Reasons We Assume

There are a lot of reasons why we leap to an incorrect conclusion. Here are just a few.

It’s easier. Not taking the time to discover the truth means you don’t have to make any changes. For instance, you could decide that getting in shape is simply too hard, when you really don’t want to make the effort.

It’s expedient. It’s a shortcut to a decision about a situation or person. You want a quick answer and don’t want to take the trouble gathering information. If you act on your choice, it could lead you in the wrong direction, damaging relationships and your future.

It feels powerful. When someone jumps to a conclusion, it makes them feel like they have some control over the situation. Feelings of control reduce stress, so this is a way for them to ease inner anxiety.

It’s out of fear. You could be afraid of what you might find out, so drawing a conclusion feels safer. Unfortunately, it’s the more dangerous road to travel because it closes doors.

Gain Clarity for a Better Life

A way to gain clarity about your assumptions is to question them. What facts or evidence do you have that support them? Or that refute them? Do you have all the facts or evidence? What can you do to gain more? You can ask for more information and reevaluate your conclusion for accuracy. It feels risky, but people are usually delighted that you care enough to make a decision based on all of the facts.

Assumptions aren’t helping you. Instead, they’re hindering you. When you realize that, you open doors to much greater possibilities for a better life. Letting go of your suppositions, and checking the evidence, improves your mood, relationships and actions. Take back your power and find clarity, which will lead you to wiser decisions.

Affirmation:

I let go of my assumptions about myself, situations and other people. Instead, I take the time to seek out the facts and become clearer on what’s truly going on. The Universe guides and directs my inquiries; bringing me information I need on which to form a clear opinion. As I do, doors to a greater life full of harmony and joy open for me.

Watch the accompanying video, Are You Seeing Clearly?

Reduce Stress and Anxiety Quickly and Easily

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Oct 102019

Stress and anxiety can quickly escalate and send you spiraling off course. But there’s a simple technique you can do in two minutes that will reduce stress, anxiety, and improve your overall health. Learn this technique and a couple of tips that will make it more effective so you’re able to stay on course and achieve your goals.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart and a vision strategist. I wanted to talk about a natural way to reduce stress and anxiety that takes about two minutes to begin working. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I can attest that it does work.

Recently, I was scheduled for a medical appointment immediately after my regular checkup with my primary provider, making it a two-fer. But the later one had to be coordinated between two offices and there was some confusion between them. The morning of the appointments, I called to see if the confusion had been cleared up. It hadn’t. Great, huh?

After another couple of more calls, it still wasn’t handled. As you can imagine, I was getting more tense and anxious the closer the time came for me to leave, and still no resolution. My blood pressure and heartrate were soaring, just what you want before a checkup, right?

Finally, I made a call a few minutes before I was to leave for my regular medical checkup, planning on rescheduling the second appointment, but I discovered that it had finally be straightened out.. Whew! Except, I was sure my blood pressure was going to be through the roof when I saw my primary provider in about half an hour.

To lower my stress, my blood pressure and my heart rate, I sat and took long, slow, deep breaths for a couple of minutes. That’s about all the time I had before I had to leave. At my regular appointment, my blood pressure was within a couple of points of my normal. It was such a relief!

When you take long, slow, deep breaths, it releases chemicals that reverses the stress response, and it only takes a couple of minutes for it to happen. When I say deep breath, I don’t mean [raise shoulders and breathe]. That will actually increase the feelings of stress and anxiety.

Instead, breathe from your belly. Push your belly out as you breathe in. Then pull it in to force the air out. If you haven’t done this before, it feels counterintuitive and awkward. But it’s the way you breathe when you’re sleeping.

To best activate this relaxation response, breathe in to the count of 4, and breathe out to the count of 8. Just do that cycle 10 times, and you’ll start noticing you’re feeling calmer. It’s a physiological reaction.

To make it even more effective, breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth, as if you’re gently blowing out candles. It’s called “pursed lip” breathing and more efficiently empties the lungs. This allows more space for oxygen to enter when you inhale.

This breathing technique will allow you to think more clearly, to communicate better and make better decisions, improve your memory and immune system, reduce inflammation and symptoms of depression, in addition to easing stress and anxiety. It’s better than any pill. Just a minute of it will begin to ease performance anxiety.

I know it seems too easy, but try it. If you’re especially uptight, do the cycle, inhale 4, exhale 8, 25 times, which would be about 5 minutes. I know it works from my personal life, because this recent issue isn’t the only time I’ve used it. And I’ve also taught it to my clients, and it’s helped them stay on course to their goals.

If you’d like some help in getting on course and programming your business for success, apply for a Complimentary Coaching Consultation.

Thank you for watching. You have the ability to take charge of your stress and anxiety and have a more harmonious life. I hope you practice this technique for your health and well being. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, How to Stay On Course with Your Priorities.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

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Oct 012019

The distressing conditions of your life are transitory, even it they seem to come in waves. You don’t have to react to each one as if your world depended on it. When you can step back and be a bit more objective, you’ll open yourself to more connection with your Spirit. And when that happens, you’ll have more guidance about the situation, and more peace during it.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Book Review-Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Be Kind to Yourself for More Success

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Sep 052019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

What is your relationship with yourself? Is it adversarial or hostile? For instance, when you make a mistake or fail, are you your own worst critic? You may think that putting yourself down, berating or criticizing yourself will help you do better the next time. But it doesn’t.

Instead, because you’re focusing on what you did wrong, you’re simply setting yourself up to repeat the behavior. And rather than taking care of yourself, you become stressed and frustrated with yourself. This may lead to indulging in self-destructive habits like procrastination, overeating, excessive drinking and more.

Your relationship with yourself is reflected in your relationships with others. If you judge yourself severely, you’re going to attract others who do the same to you. How you treat yourself determines the kind of treatment you’re willing to tolerate from others. You’ll allow people to disrespect, insult and take advantage of you, because you think that’s normal. This can negatively affect your personal and professional relationships, holding you back from achieving your goals and being successful.

Cultivating Self-Compassion

Just because you’ve done something wrong doesn’t mean that you are bad. Rather than being so hard on yourself, what if you were kinder to yourself? Research shows that when you’re nicer to yourself, you’ll experience less stress and anxiety. It also improves your sense of well-being, self-esteem, self-worth and your relationships with others.

People who are kinder to themselves have greater motivation to pick themselves up and try again. When you’re compassionate towards yourself, you’re able to accept yourself for who you are. This gives you additional energy and resilience to improve on your weaknesses and make better decisions in the future.

Shifting your viewpoint makes all the difference. By taking a more realistic view when something upsetting happens, you can put it into perspective and realize that you’re not perfect. You’re simply a human being doing the best you can with the knowledge and resources you had at that time.

When you’re kinder to yourself, you support yourself and your endeavors which allows you to reach your goals. You become more patient with yourself and become more confident. You can cultivate self-compassion by making some easy changes in the way you treat yourself.

Ways to Be Kind to Yourself

1. Use positive self-talk. Give yourself uplifting messages, especially when you realize you didn’t live up to your potential. Tell yourself something like, “It’s okay. I’ll do better next time.” Or, “I am capable and have what it takes to succeed.”

2. When you make a mistake, encourage yourself. Treat yourself as if you were a good friend. Be understanding of what happened and why. Mistakes are the way you learn. You can say, “Everyone makes mistakes. I can learn from this and move on.”

3. Write 3 things you appreciate about yourself every day. It shifts your focus to what you’ve done right in your world. This builds self-acceptance and shows you that you support yourself. You inspire and motivate yourself when you pay attention to what’s good about you.

Self-compassion can improve your relationship with yourself. Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you will ever have. You’re the only person you’re with every hour of every day. Why not treat yourself well, which is what you deserve?

Affirmation:
The Universe loves and approves of me, just the way I am right now. I realize I’m a spiritual being having a human experience, and as such, I’m not perfect. I do the best I can with the knowledge I have at the time. But I have the capability to grow, learn and be better. I’m kind to myself, and view myself with the same compassion that the Universe does.

Watch the accompanying video, Self-Compassion Can Help Tame Your Inner Critic.

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