You're going to surprise yourself... in every sense of the word.
>>Okay, Julie… here you go again - what in the hell are you talking about today?
Well, you’ve been following my newsletters for a while and I’m thinking you’re in the process of making some changes in your life - but at times it may seem like you’re getting nowhere. But hear me out on this today...
You see, what you want in life exists on the other side of doing the opposite of what you'd normally do. It’s about breaking your patterns and habits. It exists where you surprise yourself. Despite your self doubt, despite your overthinking, despite your lack of confidence - you CAN and you will surprise yourself.
How do I know this? <<
I know this because I’ve been where you are. I wanted to change SO many things in my life and it seemed like too much. I felt like just settling with what I had and shutting up about it. I was ready to give up completely and buy into the stories I had been telling myself about what I could and couldn’t do.
But, instead I started changing little things daily… Just one thing, anything to get me in the habit of embracing change - and little by little - I started surprising myself with what I had accomplished.
And that’s how you're going to surprise yourself with what you’re capable of doing, with what you’re capable of saying and with the changes you’re capable of making. So keep going.
I bet, if you were to look back and be honest with yourself... you’ve surprised yourself in the past. A lot. You’ve done it before and you’re going to do it again.
You thought you didn’t have the energy and you’d reached your limit. You thought you had given all that you could give. You were convinced you didn’t have what it takes. You thought it was all over.
And yet you did it somehow. You broke through a limitation or a huge insecurity.<<
- You said no when you usually say yes.
- You said yes when you usually say no.
- You spoke up when you typically stayed quiet.
- You stood up for yourself when normally you don’t.
- You volunteered to go first when you never do that.
- You made the job change, you changed the city you live in.
These are all WINS and you surprised yourself. And the best thing? They are all proof of what you’re capable of doing in the future.
Make THAT your goal - to look back and be able to say… WOW, I surprised myself. I surprised myself with what I did even when I thought I couldn't do it. I surprised myself with the things I was willing to try, the words I was willing to speak and the changes I was willing to make.
Once you realize that and embrace your ability to do that, there is no better feeling in the world! Trust me - I know this first hand!! You’ll begin to see that there truly will be no dead ends for you, no final chapters, and there will be no silence when you want to speak up… because you WILL surprise yourself.
>>What a powerful realization that is!
Remember and know that despite your self doubt, your overthinking, and lack of confidence - you will step up to what you’re capable of doing and that journey begins with the simple act of doing something different and surprising yourself. It all begins with little changes. Just doing the opposite of what you typically do, say or even think.
THAT, my dear, is the key to changing your life for real.
It’s in the little moments of stepping out when you'd normally step back. When you hear the voice of doubt telling you to stay quiet and stay still... and yet you show up anyway. It’s when you decide to no longer hold yourself back.
In doing so you’ll realize that what you want in life truly does exist on the other side of small actions that are uncharacteristic of yourself. Start today and take action on what you usually only dream of doing and surprise yourself. I mean come on, who doesn’t like surprises? :)
What are you thinking of surprising yourself with today?<<