I really do find a lot of great information and advice on these forums. I thought I would chime in on something that I have been dealing with....emotional baggage. Well what kind of emotional baggage? The kind that holds you back from success. This could be anything really. You name it. " What will my mom think of me?" " I suck." "I don't have enough experience to make it!" etc...We all have it, from the newbies to the pros. Our lives go through an ebb and flow, changing constantly with our emotions following right behind. Here I'm going to talk about 2 things: 1, How you can deal with the emotions, being proactive in your approach about it. 2 How to truly help other people to get real results. When it comes down to it, it really has to do with your drive. Some people say, I really would like to make it on my own and be self employed but I have so much emotional baggage it's hard to get it going. Somehow their drive isn't strong enough. Ann Sieg says it well: There are Two primary motivators: Pain and Pleasure. Pain can motivate more than pleasure. Pain. You can see it like this. "If I don't get a plan of action going, there will be pain that follows." This is naturally engrained in our DNA as animals in the animal kingdom. If we don't store up for winter...we starve. Pleasure. The actual result of your efforts. If I exercise and eat right, then I will have the healthy body I've always wanted! We as humans have an advantage in that we can actually visualize the pleasure of certain efforts and that is a powerful tool. Figure out what motivates you...pain...or pleasure. Another way to deal with the baggage would be your environment. Not just the kitty hanging in there poster but your actual peers, confidants, mentors etc. Talk to people about it, get their opinion. As emotional beings they can definitely relate to what you are going through and even give you advice on how they came out of the "cave" so to speak. We are not meant to go through it alone and you have to remember that. Invest in your mindset. Read the books, post and forums about improving your attitude and outlook. Self improvement doesn't just mean more money coming in so you can buy more clothes and get a haircut. It's about how you view your current circumstances. If you don't have the positive mindset now, then you HAVE to work on getting it. Inward then outward. Get what I'm saying? Have a goal! Where do you want to be in 5 years? 3? 2? 1? 6months? 2months? 1 week? Create a plan and act. How do you help others even when your just starting out? Become capable. It doesn't even matter how small. Did you learn how to build a good blog? Did you learn how to set up an Aweber account? Know of a great resource to help home businesses with taxes? I mean the list goes on and on. You know things that many might not. We crave a sense of value and worth in our lives. What's a better way of getting a sense of value than helping others? This is especially true for the ones just starting out in this business. They still haven't created a sense of worth which can be a BIG ole Santa sized sack of emotional baggage. Just remember, you do have value, you know information, tips, experiences that others have yet to encounter. Speak up about it! Learn to self coach yourself. "I AM capable!" I think would be a good affirmation to say to yourself daily. I hope this has been some help in assessing your issues and baggage that come into the game of starting out on your own. PLEASE, if you have anything to add....advice...experiences, etc, I would love to hear from you!
That's it in a sentence! Emotional baggage is one of those handicaps we all carry around in some form or fashion. For some people it is truly a burden and for others it's a comfort. We wrestle with the pain/pleasure dynamic constantly, which seems to be the process for self-discovery and helping us to understand who we are. As we slowly figure things out and embrace our individual perception of reality, we use words like "growth" and "progress" as vague units of measurement to record our personal development. But the cycle of pain and pleasure in our lives never ceases. It's crucial to our existence and awareness. The Universe and everything in it runs on the momentum of opposing forces. Good and bad, up and down, black and white, rich and poor, and so on. The best we can hope for as souls swept up in the frenzy, is to improve our ability to navigate the turbulence as effortlessly as we can, without being overcome by the emotional exhaust that always threatens to pollute our private environment. One interesting observation about pain and pleasure as motivators: The natural urge to avoid pain tends to "push" us into action, while the promise of pleasure seems to "pull" us towards it, further evidence of nature's ebb and flow.Great post, Karina! Hermas
I agree with Hermas. Your drive is essential. And you can use your successes as a pleasurable motivator to help motivate you to do even more. Always try to think positive, be positive, do something positive even when you are feeling down. Great post Karina and great reply Hermas!
Yes, all those words come to mind. Drive, determination, ambition......who knows where they come from!!!!!!
Great tips..emotional baggage is very draining and time consuming to deal with, I should know, I have a ton of it. It can interfere with your daily work routine to say the least. I think positive self talk is a must to help you get through it and succeed. We must become strong and self sufficient.
