“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Are you living life to the fullest? Or do you feel like life is just passing you by?
When you are living life to the fullest, you are living intentionally. Your life is aligned with your core values and you have a sense of personal fulfilment.
You savor life and take every opportunity to live happy and fulfilled.
But if you are not living intentionally, then you are living on autopilot. It is life by default. You are literally sleepwalking through life.
You want to live life to the fullest, and yet here you are, struggling to live your best each day. What stands in between you and living life to the fullest is your mindset.
You are probably treading through life with the same mindset that no longer serves you today.
In this post, let’s explore mindsets that put you in a “stuck pattern.” This is a way of thinking that limits your ability to grow and change for the better.
A mindset, or belief system, is something that can spur you forward. It can prevent you from getting sucked into a lifestyle that you are fed up with.
Mindsets are double-edged swords. They have the power to create and the power to destroy. Mindsets are the thoughts in your subconscious mind that influence your behavior, attitude, and actions.
These are thoughts that you would believe to be the absolute truth. Beliefs are a reflection of your inner being.
Regardless of whether they are positive or negative, your mindset is the sum of all your beliefs. As a result, your perception of the world and everything in it is shaped by your belief system.
This is the core of who you are.
Empowering beliefs can improve your life, help you thrive, and help you live life to the fullest.
On the other hand, limiting beliefs will keep you from achieving your goals. It keeps you from moving forward and from progressing both personally and professionally.
Your attitude is influenced by your thoughts. Imagine what kind of impact this has on your life.
Think of the choices you’ve made throughout your life. All of your decisions are influenced by your mindset.
So, before you can begin living life to the fullest, you must first be in the right frame of mind.
If you have been struggling your entire life and not living life to the fullest, there’s only one real reason:
You have been walking around with the wrong mindset. These mindsets keep you caught in a rut.
Let’s examine seven common mindsets that have kept you stuck. And try to figure out which ones have been holding you back.
Those are the ones that have a significant impact on your daily life.
Here are seven mindsets/reasons that may be keeping you from living life to the fullest:
Living life to the fullest often eludes those who struggle with a diminished sense of self-worth. It’s that nagging belief that success is reserved for others rather than oneself.
Regrettably, many individuals find themselves ensnared by this mindset for an extended period of time. Sadly, not everyone gets the chance to break free from this mental conditioning, often formed in childhood.
But who really get to decide what you deserve?
Who holds the key to your happiness?
Look within yourself, and you’ll discover the answers you seek.
Indeed, you are just as deserving of living life to the fullest as anyone else. The power rests squarely in your hands. However, to enter this realm of “deserving,” a shift in mindset becomes imperative.
You must come to believe that you merit all the blessings, joy, and achievements the world has to offer. If you’ve been burdened by past guilt, hurt, or trauma in the past, it’s time to let it go.
There will always be circumstances beyond your control. But this does not mean that you can point a finger at something or someone in your situation.
In order for things to get better, you must be able to accept responsibility for events in your life. Whether these events are positive or negative, the first thing you need to do is assume responsibility for them.
This doesn’t mean you assume that it is your fault. First of all, make sure you do not shift the blame away from you onto others. It’s all too easy to blame your parents, teachers, and friends for how your life has turned out.
Playing the victim and blaming life’s circumstances for your situation will not help. It might make it more difficult, if not impossible, to make the positive changes in your life.
When you break free from this mindset, living life to the fullest is just a thought away.
Renowned self-help guru, Tony Robbins, would probably give someone looking to make a positive change the following advice:
“Your past is NOT equal to your future.”
Yet many people are stuck in the past with the “this is who I am” mental state. The past is just a place for you to revisit to learn from your past mistakes and experiences.
However, the future is a place where you can create anything you want based on your current decisions and actions.
Most people who are trapped in this attitude believe that how they were in the past is how they are now. They would believe that everything was set in stone and that nothing could be changed.
However, this is as far away from the truth as you can ever get. Your future does not have to look like your past.
Unless you allow it to.
Because:
Your Past ≠ Your Future
(I know I just mentioned it, but I really want you to think about it).
Change is the only thing constant and people change all the time.
Robbins also said that:
“The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”
The fastest way to growth and self-improvement is to embrace the fact that you are an ever-changing being.
When you empower yourself to make positive changes, you’ll be on your way to greener pastures and a brighter future.
According to the New York Times bestselling author of Hardwiring Happiness, Dr. Rick Hansen:
“The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.”
Negative events and experiences get quickly stored in memory. Positive events and experiences, on the other hand, take a longer time to move from short-term memory to long-term storage.
This is known as negativity bias. You are more likely to focus on things that go wrong than on those that go right.
This often leads to the “nothing ever works out my way” mindset.
Negativity bias has been hardwired into the human brain because negative stimuli play a useful role in survival. This bias is also the reason our cave-dwelling ancestors were able to evade saber-toothed tigers and natural disasters.
Negativity is already “implanted” in our consciousness. So, the next logical step is to be mindful of it. Only then will new and effective mindsets develop.
To overcome this bias, you must deliberately focus your attention on the positive things that are present in your life. And reinforce the positives in your life by celebrating small wins.
Celebrating seemingly small (but significant) victories triggers the reward circuitry in your brain. It also keeps you focused on your ultimate prize.
Another way to feel more positive emotions is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. When you express gratitude frequently, it promotes positive emotions, helps you sleep better, and may even strengthen your immune system.
The truth is, there is no such thing as the “right moment”. Those stuck in this mindset are typically hesitant to act because they believe the time is not yet right.
The “waiting for the right moment” mindset is common among compulsive perfectionists. Striving to be perfect often leads to unproductive habits and unrealistic expectations.
When you are always striving for perfection, you often end up on a never-ending path of procrastination.
This mindset of perfectionism is not about striving to be your best. Instead, it is a fear-driven train of thought that stems from a lack of self-confidence.
Because if you strive for perfection, you will never feel accomplished.
Fortunately, perfectionism is not a death sentence. You can work slowly towards a mindset of excellence.
While perfectionism says “nothing but perfect is good enough,” excellence says “do the best you can with what you have.”
Stop beating yourself up if things don’t work out “perfectly” as you would expect them to be. Work towards excellence, for it is something that can be attained.
Although achieving excellence involves a willingness to do whatever it takes, it is attainable. All it takes is dedication, persistence, and the right focus.
Are you, really?
When you’re caught in your comfort zone, this is how you think. You are content with the status quo, yet you are afraid of the unknown.
While it is comfortable and convenient to stay in your comfort zone, it impedes your growth.
According to neuroscientists, when you execute repetitive and predictable tasks, your brain’s learning area shuts down.
So how do you prevent this mindset from stifling your personal and professional growth?
Try changing your daily routine. Even an activity as simple as taking another route to work can jolt your brain into learning mode.
The fastest way to get out of your comfort zone is to “ease” yourself into some new experiences. Learning a new skill, starting a new project, or starting a fitness regimen can all expand your life’s possibilities.
Thinking that you don’t know enough or are not good enough is a result of your own self-talk. It is your self-belief that determines who you are and what you are good at.
You often think that nothing you do will ever be good enough. This leads to self-doubt, which will limit your capacity to believe in yourself.
It will also keep you from reaching your full potential. You might inevitably suffer from a lack of confidence and low self-esteem.
To prevent this destructive mindset from taking your life into a downward spiral, pay more attention to your inner dialogue.
Becoming aware of your internal dialogues is a great first step towards regaining control of your life. Take note of the words you’re using in your negative self-talk.
When you begin to replace those negative thoughts with positive affirmations, positive change will begin to happen in your life.
Besides a negative internal dialogue, self-doubt is another mindset that can bring you down. This usually occurs when you lack confidence or feel incapable of doing the things you need to do.
To overcome doubts about your ability and self-worth, turn your attention to your uniqueness. Start to recognize what makes you unique and look at the qualities you have that make you who you are.
As no two people on the planet are alike, this makes you a special person. So, start by accepting who you are and giving yourself unconditional love.
When you pursue happiness, fulfillment, and living life to the fullest, be mindful of a common misconception:
The belief that your source of happiness is outside you.
You can’t control what’s going on in the world, and you can’t influence external situations that are beyond your control.
In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master, spiritual leader, poet and peace activist:
“What you are looking for is already in you…You already are everything you are seeking.”
There you go. The seven reasons you aren’t living life to the fullest are simply thoughts that are preventing you from doing so.
Now that you have identified these seven common disempowering mindsets, it’s just a matter of altering your thoughts.
Your thoughts are within your control. That is all you need in order to create a positive change in your life.
That’s what it takes to live life to the fullest.
In the immortal words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
So, start taking action today.
DISCLOSURE: In my article, I’ve mentioned a few products and services, all in a valiant attempt to turbocharge your life. Some of them are affiliate links. This is basically my not-so-secret way of saying, “Hey, be a superhero and click on these links.” When you joyfully tap and spend, I’ll be showered with some shiny coins, and the best part? It won’t cost you an extra dime, not even a single chocolate chip. Your kind support through these affiliate escapades ensures I can keep publishing these useful (and did I mention free?) articles for you in the future.
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