WHAT’S STOPPING YOU?
Most people don’t get what they want, because they don’t ask for what they want. I heard this saying for the first time many years ago from some big shot entrepreneur when I was in the early days of my business. I don’t recall exactly who it was but if I were to guess I’d say it sounds like something Tony Robbins would say.
In a lot of ways I agree with the statement although it makes people feel uncomfortable. That one little sentence has the power to turn the spotlight on you and in an instant you’re forced to take responsibility for everything you do and don’t have in your life right now. Blaming outside incidents, circumstances or people are no longer acceptable excuses. In the split of a second you’re involuntarily taking an inventory of your life and begin to question, when was the last time you asked for what you wanted?
But there’s something off about this statement even though every sci-fi apocalyptic film has been hinting at us for decades that this suspicious sense has often signalled the beginning of the end.
The loss of autonomy— of our own thinking, feeling minds and our ability to question. You know how the storyline goes right? The ones where robots or some fast spreading virus infects the human race and we become subservient zombies that blindly follow orders without questioning if they are good for us, the greater good and for what purpose? Oblivious to who or what are our actions are serving and out of fear of punishment or death we dare not to question the status quo.
The missing piece—autonomy over what do you want.
When was the last time you asked yourself what do you want in and for your life?
And when did society become a place where one is expected to merely accept our current reality as a stagnant and implacable fate that we’ve been allocated and can no longer alter?
We’ve resigned to accepting that who we are and what we have in this life is immovable. Instead of life flowing through us as abundant, life giving source of energy, we close off and instead becomes a stagnant breeding ground for sickness and languish.
We allow the streams of infinite possibilities to wash over us, not daring to run our hands through the possibilities in fear of being told ‘it’s not for us.’
Instead allowing the majority of it to flow onto those who’ve always had it and believe they are entitled to it. I’m not saying that the meaning of life is ‘to have it all’ although I once believed that material possessions were the most elite and clearest measure of success and value in a human being.
It’s not easy to believe otherwise when we’re immersed in a reality that feeds us an endless cycle of news, evidence and ‘how to’s’ on the quickest ways to achieve money, fame and power. Why would you place value in your mental health, relationships and being truly present in the moment so as to expand time itself? Surely it would silence the constant noise, dread and anxiety for a future we may or may not be here to experience?
But then what would happen to the industries that benefit from our need to desperately seek a synthetic connection via online validation? If we didn’t consume substances to help dull the noise and were no longer reliant on the apps that help us to mimic human connection as a result of the disintegrating skills that are required to attract and maintain genuine relationships?
Look I’m not here to tap you out of the matrix all together, yet ;) I’m a firm believer in keeping my feet planted on the ground whilst maintaining a perspective and awareness of who I am, why I am here and what my actions amount to so as to maximise my full human experience.
I guess being sucked into a system that activity sough for years to silence my intuition and cut me off from my inner knowing will forever keep you on the lookout for truth. These days I strive to be aware, informed and connected to my consciousness and unconscious biases so as to never take for granted the privileged of personal autonomy over my life and actions after years of outsourcing it to an ancient and outdated system.
Back to the point.
What’s stopping you?
I’m not here to sell you a dream, my dream or that of anyone else…
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
-Oriah
In my personal opinion and oh so painful personal experience - to live a life of suppressed potential, self expression and void of autonomy over your purpose, could quite possibility be one of life’s greatest forms of torture.
A punishment that we willing impose on ourselves!
Why?
Because we must do what’s expected of us- to fit in, to pay the bills, be loved and accepted by our tribe.
Loneliness trumps disappointment. So it’s better to be the same, follow the predictable lines that have been laid out for you so as to not rock the boat.
“When the culture of any organization mandates that it is more important to protect the reputation of a system and those in power than it is to protect the basic human dignity of the individuals who serve that system or who are served by that system, you can be certain that the shame is systemic, the money is driving ethics, and the accountability is all but dead.”
― Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
Stepping outside of the lines will cause a commotion. People will look at you differently and you’ll likely fail at some point. But it will be all your fault. No one will come to save you because you brought this on yourself.
But what if you needed saving from this reality. The one where you dare not question the ways things are?
What if that inkling deep inside of you, that when sparked, brings the refreshing relief of hope for a future reality that you’ve dreamt of but have not yet experienced?
When you give it enough air to breath it begins to reveal itself in more detail as it pauses time and you become lost in the vision of your future self that is alive and awake in your dream— what would it say to you?
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Just Start —
p.s get in touch, I always love to hear your feedback and reflections
hello@startupcreative.com.au
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