6 Mindsets That Keep Us From Our Dreams
It’s a fact; we’re all faced with pressures and fear. If we aren’t careful, we can let our minds run away with us. As we slowly begin accepting lies as truth, it keeps us from our dreams and becoming who we want to be. As obvious as it should be to us that these are far from the truth, we struggle to change these mindsets throughout our lives. It would be impossible for me to cover every one, but here are six classics I’m certain we’re all familiar with.
“Everybody's doing it.” No matter what “it” is, I can assure you that EVERYBODY is NOT doing it. This includes everyone in your school, workplace, and community. When you're tempted to jeopardize your hopes and dreams out of fear you'll be left out or criticized if you choose a different path, stop and weigh the consequences of that choice. No matter what anyone tells you, not everybody is doing it!
“People won’t like me if I’m different.” Sometimes being different and standing out is terrifying, but what if overcoming that fear means that others around you feel supported in what they’re doing? What if being different makes you a leader and helps you feel empowered to protect your dreams, no matter the cost? Not everyone is going to like you; be okay with that. Surround yourself with those who believe in you and support your dreams, then watch how you begin to impact others!
“My voice doesn’t matter.” Regardless of what you might have been told, your voice matters very much. It matters in relationships, in the classroom, on your team, in your community, and in this world. If you find yourself being pressured to make a decision that could compromise your dreams remember, you do have a say in this. You teach others how to treat you by what you accept and what you don’t. Find some courage to start using your voice and stand up for yourself and your dreams!
“I’ll do what I want now & deal with the consequences later.” This is a very dangerous mindset to have. We’ve all heard the saying “If it feels good, do it.” and most of us have applied this attitude at one time or another. I wonder if we would've made different decisions had we read the fine print; ”May cause regret, shame, sadness, distrust, hopelessness, broken relationships, broken dreams, loss of character, loss of integrity, and a lesson learned the hard way.” Every decision you make gets you either one step closer to where you want to be or keeps you from it. Don’t buy into this mindset. Let your choices reflect your hopes and dreams!
“It will take too much time.” We’re so accustomed to getting everything instantly and we rarely wait for anything. It’s understandable that waiting for our dreams to come true can seem so overwhelming. Think of it this way; time is going to pass anyway, so we might as well do things each day that get us closer to where we want to be. Know up front that it probably won’t happen overnight, so be okay with slow progress. After all, slow progress is still progress. Before you know it, your dreams have become your new reality!
“It may be possible, but it’s too difficult.” Don’t give up before you’ve even started! Instead of looking at the potential challenges as impossible mountains to overcome, look at them as character-building lessons on the journey to your dreams. You’re going to make mistakes; it's proof you’re trying. Rather than sitting under your pile of mistakes like a victim, stand on your pile of mistakes as a victorious overcomer!
Take some time to reflect on your life and identify when you’ve fallen victim to these self-sabotaging mindsets. Which ones do you struggle with most? What other mindsets do you find yourself believing? Print out this list and read it frequently to remind you that you don’t have to accept these words as truth. With some steady practice, you will begin to change. You CAN overcome! And if you need help, I'm here for you.
