When was the last time you told yourself the truth? The truth about yourself?

We spend so much time everyday asking, “what if…?” and “what should…?” Daydreaming about “I wonder when…?” and “If only…” that we’re often focused on things that exist only in our minds. We forget to focus on what’s happening right in front of us - in the here and now. We begin to miss out on the genuine experiences that are all around us - ready to expand, beautify, and energize our lives!

We live in a world where it’s easier to numb ourselves to the thoughts going on inside than to acknowledge and appreciate what those thoughts are trying to help us with… It’s hard admitting something isn’t great, that we feel “off,” and digging to get to the bottom of “why?” So, instead, we fill our days with busy-ness, finding coping mechanisms that numb us, and going along with everyone else’s expectations for our lives.

Asking ourselves how we feel, why we feel it, and what that means for our life can often threaten the life we’re used to. Telling ourselves the truth could leave us with new choices to make - about our habits, our relationships, even our beliefs. And yes… This is can be hard, and sometimes painful.

But oh my word, it’s worth it!

The thing is - pursuing the truth about ourselves is a never-ending process - we can never run out of new discoveries, new experiences, new ideas… And when we’re able to embrace this - so many choices open up! When we can be honest with ourselves about the beliefs that shape our actions, we can choose differently. We can re-write our story. We can live empowered and energized by joy and possibility!

So this week, consider this: Take 15 minutes everyday to just be. Maybe sitting quietly, maybe going for a walk, maybe journaling the thoughts swirling around inside… And at the end of your 15 minutes, simply ask yourself, “What am I feeling?” No need to explain why. Just name it. Sit with it.

When you’re ready, ask these follow up questions:

What hurts? What is the painful story I am telling (what beliefs do I have around this pain)? Is that story true? Is that story working - does it help me to bring more love into the world? Can I think of another story that might work better?

It turns out, the part of us that likes to hold onto pain, fear, anger, and regret usually has positive intentions, often to protect us from life’s hurts. But it also holds us back from living into our truest selves! Taking time to be still and ask these questions, allows our brain and heart to “clear the clutter” and begin to acknowledge what we really want and who we really want to be… In turn, freeing us from ourselves!

If this sounds interesting to you, and you’d like to dive in a little deeper, we’ll be spending this week focusing on these ideas in my Facebook Group “The Joy Habit.” You’re welcome to come along! We’d love to have you!