You'll Never Fly If You Don't Ever Jump

"You've got to jump off cliffs all the time 

 and build your wings on the way down."

~Ray Bradbury

O.K., you don't LITERALLY jump off cliffs, but you have to be willing to take chances, to escape the things that hold you back.  And sometimes you can't just stick your toe in and expect it to make a difference. You have to be willing to "jump off cliffs" and escape the bonds of your own fear, your own limiting beliefs, and own self doubt.  And when you try to tackle this stuff it may seem like jumping off a cliff, it is so far outside your comfort zone.

But here's the deal.  If you don't ever jump, you'll be like a bird that stays in the nest forever.  You'll eventually be left behind and may starve to death.  When everybody else has built wings and you're still standing on the cliff or staying in the nest, you might feel nice and safe, but are you really?  Sometimes you'll discover new skills, new creativity, new ideas (new wings) when you move outside the safe and familiar.

This week:   Think about what is holding you back.  Is there some area in your life where you're trying to just stand there and be safe?  Are you holding back in your career?  Are you holding back in relationships?  Are you afraid to jump?  Really be honest with yourself about what holds you back.  Is there some way you can jump and build your wings on the way down?  If you can, take one small baby jump this week and notice what happens.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the obstacles to their success and happiness.  She specializes in helping people let go of limiting beliefs and negative emotions from the past--that "mental clutter" that keeps people stuck.  For more information or to find out how to get rid of all baggage in as little as 4 days, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com and find out how Personal Breakthrough Intensive Sessions work . 

Stretch Outside Your Comfort Zone

"Do one thing everyday that scares you."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

I love this quote because it reminds me to continue to stretch myself every day, to confront the things that scare me.  When we face the things that make us uncomfortable we gain confidence.  We may not always be successful, but we have faced down the fear.  Face your fear and do it anyway.  Most times the things we are afraid of are in our heads.  We allow ourselves to be blocked by those limiting beliefs--those mindset limitations--that tell us that scary or terrible things will happen.  We already allow ourselves to be affected by those fears, even when the things we are afraid of have not happened.  

This week:  Uncover something that you've been afraid to do EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Yep.  Do one thing every day that scares you.  It doesn't have to be huge or earth-shattering.  We all have lots of little fears along with those big ones.  So start small.  Pick something you've been scared to do and do it right now.  When you have done it, breathe a sigh of relief.  You did it!  Now write down what you will do every day for the rest of the week.  Face those fears, big or small.  At the end of the week notice how you feel.  Once you've done something you were afraid of, do you continue to be scared of it?  If so, that's O.K., but keep practicing! 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people confront their limiting beliefs and the things they believe block them.  She helps them stretch themselves to achieve goals they had not thought  possible using her solution focused approach.  For more information or to see how a Personal Breakthrough Intensive Session could help you blast through fear completely, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .   

Confront Your Fears

"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."

~ Joseph Campbell

It is so true that when we confront our fears, we discover the greatest treasures.  Often we hold ourselves back because of our fears.  When you give in to your fear, you are allowing yourself to be deprived of the treasure you most seek.  Most of us create fear around the things that are more important and valuable to us.  We are afraid of intimacy; we are afraid of failure; we fear loss of love; we fear being exposed as a fraud.  When you confront those fears, you are able to move forward and to uncover the treasure that has been buried from your because of your fear.  The relief is palpable and well worth it.  Your treasure is worth confronting those fears.

This week:  Give a name to that cave where your fear resides.  What treasure could you have if you conquered that fear?  Greater freedom?  Greater success?  Love?  Joy?  Peace?  Now sit down with a piece of paper.  Ask yourself "What purpose does my fear serve?" and listen for the answer from inside, where your subconscious mind resides.  Then ask yourself "What would I need to do, what would I need to have, or what would I need to know in order to let it go?  Why do I think I need to be fearful?"  Write down all the ideas that show up.  You are beginning to create a plan for letting go of your fear. Pick ONE idea to follow.  Notice if your fear dissipates a little. Keep breathing.   If you want more help with this, call or email me.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people get rid of negative emotions and limiting mindsets formed from their past negative experiences.  She has more than 32 years helping people change, and has the tools to teach you how to make those changes quickly.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

You Have to Take a Chance

Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.

~Frederick B. Wilcox

So many people are afraid to take chances.  They stay stuck in place, afraid to reach out and go after what they really want because they are afraid to move from the safety and security of their daily life.  Even if they aren't happy in their daily life, they are afraid to step forward.  The problem is that until you are ready to take a risk, you will stay on "first base"--stuck in place. 

This week:  Acknowledge to yourself what risk you need to take to move forward.  Identifying it and owning up to it brings it out into the light and allows you to begin to assess just how great the risk is.  Sometimes we make the risk so much worse in our imagination.  In the light of day, what are you really risking?  How probable is that risk?  Ask yourself:  What one small step can I take that will move me forward?  When you are focused on what step you need to take, you can shift your focus away from the fear.  Ask  yourself:  What am I risking by NOT taking that step?  Decide to do one small thing this week that will help you take that step.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people face the fears that block them and move beyond them.  Her Life Moments Makeover System allows people to let go of fear and anxiety quickly and easily.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Utilize the Power of Your Thoughts

"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."

~Peace Pilgrim

We have the power to create fear, disappointment and to limit ourselves through our own thoughts.  We also have the power to empower ourselves with our thoughts and beliefs.  When you focus on what is possible, rather than what is impossible, you open avenues for yourself as well as others.  We create our own reality by our own thoughts.  We limit ourselves with negative thoughts, and create opportunities with our positive thoughts. 

This week:  Pay attention to your thoughts.  Which ones limit you?  Which ones empower you?  Challenge your negative thoughts by asking yourself  "Is this really true?"  Watch what you say to yourself, because your whole body is eavesdropping and believes what you say.  Pay attention to which thoughts are most helpful to you.  Don't lie to yourself, but don't assume that things are impossible, just because you haven't done them YET. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people get rid of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions from past experiences and limiting beliefs that block your success and happiness.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ or to http://www.emotionalclutter.com/

The Rewards of Life Require the Risk of Playing the Game

"There's no reward in life without risk."

~Barry J. Farber

In order to "win" the game, you have to play.  You can't expect to sit on the sidelines, expecting to dream your outcome into being.  Yes, dreaming IS important, but you must take action.  Anytime you commit yourself to taking action, you are taking a risk.  You are putting yourself out there, declaring what you want.  You are stating your intention and you must now ante up.  Some people are afraid of the risk and allow that fear to derail them.  Even though you may not know the outcome for sure, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?  Take a chance.

This week:   Think about something you REALLY want.  Get clear about the outcome you'd like to achieve.  Be specific.  It can be something small or something big.  Now, think about what blocks you from having it?  How much of the obstacle to your success is related to fear of taking the risk?  Just think about how different your life would be if you took that risk AND were successful?  Think carefully about what the rewards are for you in achieving this outcome.  Are they big enough to overcome the fear?  If not, think about how you might make that outcome even MORE rewarding to you--not just at the end, but also along the way.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome self-sabotage.  When fear or limiting beliefs sabotage your best efforts at reaching your dreams, you need to be able to get rid of it.  Linda has a number of resources available, and is happy to talk with you about what might be best for you.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Fear Is Preparing You to Take Action

"When you feel fear, ask yourself this question. What positive action is this fear preparing me to take?"

~Ralph Marston

Sometimes we allow ourselves to be stopped by our fear. We think it must signal danger. We worry about negative results. Fear can actually signal that you are ready to move outside your comfort zone. When you can face that fear, you can stretch yourself beyond your limitations and achieve things you didn't know you could.

This week: Pay attention to what causes you feel fear. Are you worried about failing? Do you think you can't do something? This week allow the fear to be a signal that there is a positive action you are getting ready to take. Identify it. Ask yourself: "What positive action must I take to overcome this fear?" Take that action. Notice what happens to your fear. Does it disappear when you think about it as signaling a positive action? Notice how empowered you feel.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome their limitations using her solution focused approach. For more information or to get her monthly tips and coaching challenge, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Facing Your Challenges

"The best way out is through."

~Robert Frost

When you are stuck or are faced with challenges, the best way out of your dilemma is to face the challenge and move on through it. Even if you are afraid, if you can face your fear, you can conquer it.

This Week: Think about what is challenging you. Is there something you've been trying to avoid? Hoping it will just go away or resolve itself without your doing something? Sorry, it usually doesn't work that way. This week, see if you can face that thing you've been avoiding. Take it on. Do some small thing to address it. If you keep putting the small steps one in front of the other, before you know it, you'll have passed through the challenge to the other side.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at Inner Resource Center, LLC in Maryville, TN. She has spent the past 30 years helping people face their challenges and move through them toward their dreams. If you would like some tips in reaching your dreams, sign up for Inner Resources, her f'ree report at http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .