June 2024 Newsletter: I am the Witness
Supporting you to free your mind so you can live from your heart!
“Overthinking keeps us in the familiar safety of our lives.”
- Dr. Nicole LaPera
Dr Nicole further explains, “most people don’t follow their calling, desires or dreams because their mind has told them it’s too dangerous and they fully believe whatever their mind says.”
Why does our mind do this? Simply put, to keep us alive. Our brain’s only job is to keep us alive. It does this through the mechanism of our mind. It takes this job very seriously.
One of the mechanisms of survival in the modern day that our brain has developed is something in coaching we call Monkey Mind. (You also might have heard it called Negativity Bias, Reptillian Brain, fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, Ego, wounded inner child etc). This part of our brain pops up anytime it detects a danger. To the brain danger is involving anything that might create change, is new, or comes from our heart as something we want to create.
As a human beings we all have dreams and desires to make a difference. These desires originate in our heart and are part of expressing our souls unique path during our lifetime. When our heart starts to give us cues, “hey, love it's time to focus on that thing you really care about" Your brain will begin to give you push back, aka, Monkey Mind in the form of thoughts:
“I don't know if that's what I really want” - VAGUENESS
“That other amazing person is already doing it better than me” - COMPARISON
I don't have enough: time, money, brains etc - SCARCITY
“This probably won't make a difference and it's just too hard” - RESIGNATION
Essentially your brain fights for the status quo. It argues for your limitations so that you don't actually do anything. This is totally normal and means you have a healthy functioning brain AND if you continue to listen to your Monkey Mind you will not live out your soul's calling and it will begin to feel like you are at war with yourself. Your mind and heart are at odds.
If you look at the state of the world and you are reading this - it is essential that you help “bridge the gap” between your heart and your mind to help evolve and heal our planet at this time. This is something that I support my clients with in coaching. Whatever you are here to create, know that it is needed. And it might not be a thing to create, it could be a state of being that the world needs more of: LOVING, COMPASSION, GENTLE, COURAGEOUS, EMPOWERED, JOYFUL!
I know you can do it and I know you are here for it!
The next time your Monkey Mind gets loud - try these steps:
1. OBSERVE (not analyze) Monkey Mind
2. ACKNOWLEDGE - Bring compassion, love, and gentleness into your experience
3. REFOCUS: Kindly ask yourself, self, If I wasn't focused on this monkey mind conversation I'm hearing in my head, what might that free me up to focus on instead?
4. SHIFT FOCUS: To what is important to you (whatever answer you hear /see/sense/feel from the REFOCUS question above)
5. ACTION: Ask yourself, self, what is one, small, sweet step that I can take to demonstrate what is most important to me today? Am I willing to take this action?
6. REPETITION: Practice these steps every day for 30 days and track your small sweet steps. Let me know how it goes!
I Affirm: I am not my thoughts, I am the one who witnesses them.
Step by Step, Jessie
