Our identity is part of us but rarely do we think about it. When we get defensive, however, it can be a sign that our identity feels threatened. And when we then argue based on our emotions, our identity gets in the way of a healthy dialogue that should be based on logic instead of feelings. If we leave our identity out more, I believe it will serve us better in our human interactions. Especially, since our identity cannot be trusted as a source of truth.
Why the Quest For You? After over 400 episodes I figured we should talk about my purpose with my vision. The quest for you is the return to yourself. Instead of looking to the outside to give you direction for your life, you look within. You listen to yourself and what you like and then you go out into the world and play, experiment and discover. I lost myself in all the distractions this world has to offer. But I found myself when I tuned it all out and instead follow my inner guidance system, This is the journey I am on, and this is the journey I want to invite you to join.
When it comes to procrastination, we don’t need more motivation. We need strategies that help us bridge the gap between idea and action, when willpower fails us. I have 3 of those strategies for you in this episode and I use them all the time when I struggle following through.
I came across the concept of Akrasia, which means “weakness of will.” It happens when we procrastinate, when we don’t do what we say we will do, when we fail to follow through.
Often we are good about following up with our promises to others. But what about the promises we make to ourselves? Our goals, our commitments and our dreams. We delay them, we push them off, and we don’t give them the importance they deserve. Because we like the idea about a future goal, but we dislike the actual discomfort associated with the short-term change.
Now that summer is here, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, we don’t have an excuse anymore to not get out. Nature was always part of my life as a child, but then I was distracted by other things for many years. My quest for me has led me back to nature again as place of rest, healing and restoration. Nature just is, and teaches us to just be. We don’t need to do anything special – nature is completely free and available for everyone. And yet, we so often forget about it because we are chasing other distractions.
Before we begin something new, it can feel like we are entering a dark tunnel. We are uncertain what lies ahead. We are scared and don’t know if we can do it. But for every BEFORE, there is an AFTER. Every tunnel has two ends. The darkness is in the middle and only lasts for a while. As long as we keep moving along, we will eventually reach the other end.
Recall anything you difficult you ever started or that you were faced with. Eventually you made it through. Like a tunnel you drive through.
Every action defines us. While our intentions may be positive, they count little. People see our actions. They hear our words. And they come to expect patterns from us they have seen in the past. Whether we like it or not – we are defined by the things we do and fail to do. If we want to change who we are, good intentions are not enough. We need to align our actions with our intentions.
A short story offers a powerful message – our old beliefs hold us back. Some of them are so engrained in us, that we don’t even notice how they influence our daily lives. Some of these beliefs are outdated, no longer applicable, and don’t support our new goals. Some are simply not true. Maybe we picked them up long time ago and never questioned them. If we are not making the progress we wish to see, if we don’t accomplish what we set out to do, it may be time to check if we are marching to the drum of old beliefs that restrict us from reaching the next level.
A famous Sufi saying inspired this episode. And it inspired me to think about how many times I have been the source of the problems in my life by inviting the “elephant trainer” into my house – i.e. the person causing all the issues. There is no need to blame these people. They are who they are. The one to blame is us – we need to be clear about our needs and our expectations. Just because a person is good, kind and generous doesn’t mean they meet our needs.
Is there even such a thing as “being ready”? Most of the time, we don’t feel prepared for the important tasks in our life. Yet, when looking back, they almost always worked out. If we went for them. A lot of times, we allow our feelings of not being ready hold us back. In this episode, I don’t suggest to dive in blindly into every opportunity that comes our way. There are a few things we can do to prepare. But eventually, there comes a moment where we have to take that leap and START, even when we don’t feel ready.
Does it seem challenging to find an inner connection with ourselves? Our world can be noisy, overwhelming and distracting.
Yet, the direction for our life comes from within us.
The Quest For You Podcast is my mission to help you discover who you are. I will help you challenge yourself through daily guidance, motivation and inspiration. I want to help you find your direction.
