Your Life Needs to Fit YOU

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; 

there is no recipe for living that suits all cases." 

~Carl Jung

This is such a great reminder that "one size does not fit all" when we are talking about your living your life. We often look at the way we think others are living and either envy it or judge it, but the key to a fulfilling life is to make sure your life fits YOU.  We each must make decisions about what is important to us, and those need to be our own.  Don't like the way you are living?  Change it. But make sure it fits YOU.

This week:  Do some thinking.  Ask yourself "Am I living my life for me?  Does my life really fit me? Or have I gone along to please others or because I think they somehow have the magic answers?  If you find that you are not living your life for you, consider what you would need to change in order to make it fit you better.  Make a list.  Now begin, this week, with ONE SMALL THING you can do to make your life your own.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people create authentic fulfilling lives.  She recognizes the uniqueness of each individual and creates programs that fit that individuality. Linda specializes in helping people overcome "mental clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs that keep people stuck.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

No Matter How Inspired, You Have to Take Action

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."

~Pablo Picasso

Creativity and inspiration will only lead to excellence when it is followed by action.  You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you don't work to bring them to fruition, they remain just ideas.  Dreams are fine, but fulfilling those dreams requires work.

This week:  Take a look at some of the ideas you have had upon which you haven't acted.  What has stopped you?  Has it been a reluctance to take action?  If so, why?  What is it you believe about taking that action that is stopping you from moving forward with your idea(s)?  Challenge yourself this week.  Take one of your ideas, and take some action about it.  Notice if it changes how you feel about the idea.  Will taking more action help you build some momentum?  Are there other resources you need?  Sometimes the best action involves finding the right resources.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people take action towards their goals.  Her business, the Inner Resource Center, LLC helps people find the right resources to move forward in their life or their career.  She specializes in helping people overcome the mindset limitations that often keep them stuck.  For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone Is Necessary For Success

"To be successful, all you have to do 

is give up everything you know."

~Asara Lovejoy

O.K., this isn't quite true, but it seems like it.  To be successful, you need to be able to let go of preconceived notions, long-standing limitations and habits that don't serve you.  You need to get out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself.  Sometimes when you are doing things that feel uncomfortable, or struggling to learn new skills, you may feel like you are having to give up everything you know.  Remember that new skills feel uncomfortable until you practice them.  In time and with practice, they become second nature.  

This week:   Take an honest look at where you stand with your success, however you define it.  How well is your old approach working for you?  Do you need a new approach?  Do you need to find new models for success?  Do you need to develop new skills?  If you could stretch yourself in only ONE area, would it make a difference?  Use this inventory to identify ways you may need to "step up your game."  Identify an area in which you could stretch yourself.  Outline a plan for making that happen.  Now, this week, before any more time has passed, take the first step in that plan.  Congratulations!  You are stepping outside your comfort zone!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals they had not thought even possible using her solution focused approach.  She specializes in helping people overcome the mindset limitations that block their success (and happiness).  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .  

Believe in Your True Self

"There is but one cause of human failure. 

And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self."

~William James

We so often sell ourselves short.  We believe that what needs to be done is beyond our abilities.  We allow past experiences to mold our beliefs and keep us from stepping up to tackle challenges again.  If we really believed in our true Self, what could be possible?  Your true Self is all the potential you hold inside you, even though you haven't realized it yet.  It is the dreams you dream; the hopes you have, and the desire to be more than you express in your every day life.  We block ourselves from believing in our true Self by hanging on to beliefs that might have once been true but really no longer serve us.  Beliefs like "I'm not good enough," or "I don't deserve," or "I don't know enough."  If you can begin to allow your true Self to shine through, you can achieve anything.  Don't you owe that to yourself--and to others?

This week:  Notice when you block yourself with mindset limitations.  What really stands in the way of your success?  If you are finding excuses in the economy, or some limitation you think you have, be honest with yourself.  Ask yourself:  "How am I blocking my true Self?"  Be honest about who your true Self really is, what he/she is really capable of.  Now think of one SMALL thing you can do to allow yourself to express your true Self.  Do that one thing this week.  Notice what happens to your faith in yourself. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome mindset limitations and other "mental clutter" that blocks their success and happiness.  When you let go of those negative beliefs and mental clutter, you may room for your authentic Self to express all those things of which you are truly capable.  For more information about her solution focused approach and variety of services she offers, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

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 . 

What Does Your Inner Voice Say?

"The loudest and most influential voice you hear is

your own inner voice, your self critic. 

It can work for you or against  you, 

depending on the messages you allow."

~Keith Harrell

We all have an internal critic inside commenting on our thoughts, behavior and emotions.  Sometimes we call it our "conscience" as when it warns us against doing something wrong.  Sometimes it is the voice of a dissatisfied parent or someone else significant from our past.  Sometimes it is our own voice, judging us.  If you are a perfectionist, that inner voice will NEVER be satisfied.  If you instruct your inner voice to give you credit for doing something that is difficult for you, or for making the effort, you will encourage yourself to try harder and do better with your next effort.  If your inner voice is always critical, you'll find yourself resisting doing things you might succeed at.  When all you get is critical, you'll find yourself giving up.  You might even begin to believe that you "aren't good enough" or that you "don't know enough."  Tame that inner voice so that it works with you instead of against you.

This week:   Pay attention to your "inner voice."  With each message, evaluate "Is this true?"  You may discover that if you are truthful you will recognize that you are too hard of yourself.  Would you talk this way to a child?  Would you talk this way to your spouse?  Would you talk with way to an employee?  If not, why are you being so critical of yourself?  Ask yourself "What is the best way to get the best performance?"  At least ONCE during the week, modify that inner voice to be supportive rather than critical.  Pay attention to the difference--which way brings better results?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people overcome limitations to their success and happiness.  She finds that many people carry around a lot of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs that block their success.  If your inner voice is too critical, find out how a Personal Breakthrough Intensive Session can change that.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

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 .