Today one of my private coaching clients asked the question:
“Why am I sabotaging myself?”
Ever wonder that yourself?
Why you don’t do what you know you “should” to allow things to change?
Well, let’s hop back into our forest analogy from last week…
Imagine you’re in a forest, and you suddenly realize you’re not where you want to be, and you’re heading somewhere you don’t want to go…
And let’s say you get a glimpse—perhaps from a map, sign, brief hilltop view, or outside input—of the direction you do want to head to get where you do want to be.
Well, at this point, if your goal is to get somewhere else, let me ask you this:
Is it more productive to ask why you’re where you are in the forest…
Or…
To simply start heading in the new direction you now realize you want to take?
Think about that for a moment…
Now back to “real” life.
We’re not actually in a forest…so what does heading in a new direction “look” like in our experience?
It looks like new patterns…new steps…that we practice daily.
Once you realize you want to change the direction your body, your health, or some other aspect of your life (money, relationships, etc.) is heading, then the next step is to ask yourself,
What is one step I could take today to start heading in this new direction…
to start creating a new pattern…
that if continued and practiced daily…
will lead me to a new “place”…a new result—or experience—in my health, my body, or my life?
Then take that step…
And practice it daily…
Until you’ve created a new pattern…
And begin experiencing a new result.
Let me know your own experiences, comments, and questions below.
And have a blessed and wonderful week!
Dr. Ben
Thanks again for an amazing image to work with. it reminds me of what some one told me quite a while ago that I forgot. “Notice what is, not what isn’t.” To me, it means to pay attention to what I can do and where I can go instead of ‘wasting’ my time and energy on what is not working. I often notice what isn’t working and forget to turn my attention to the “open field” of what I can do next. Thanks for the reminder, Dr. Ben and thanks to the person who asked the powerful question.
Thanks Ben!
I think this is good to remember every week. Every day we get a new beginning. Every week we get a new beginning.
Thanks for reminding us of this regularly!!
Hi Dr. Ben,
Thanks for the positive encouragement. I’m diabetic (type 1) and have made some poor choices in the last couple of years resulting in poor management of my diabetes. I was tired all the time, high and low blood sugars, overweight and not exercising. I’m trying to turn things around by changing almost everything I do…i.e., eating low fat, no sugar, no wheat meals (very,, very challenging), exercising more and just taking one day at a time. And, you’re right, everyday we do get a new beginning…even if we didn’t do it right the day before. It is difficult setting up new patterns though because our bodies are used to the old “way”. Thanks for the affirmation that it does take awhile to get used to the new patterns. Sometimes the “memory bank” holds too tightly on to the old patterns.
Have a good week.
Yes, this is a process, and indeed something you can practice and progress in daily.
Congrats to all of you for the steps you’ve taken!
Dr. Ben
I think this is especially important to remember as our society is so quick, fast paced & urgent. And there is so much value placed on whatever is quick etc. Reality is that important change and change of behavior & patterns takes time and consistent actions. Thanks for the affirmation or what is real!