Tag: confidence level

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Is negative thinking part of our nature?

Each of us has between 60k to 90k thoughts per day.
Most of these are repeated thoughts from yesterday.
And most of these thoughts are negative.

Unless you learn to manage some conscious control over this endless stream of thought, it can easily become a habit which for many of us it is.

THE MAJORITY OF US DEFAULT TO NEGATIVE THINKING.

It’s normalized in our culture to the point of being considered human nature. It’s common for us to see someone who’s being blatantly positive and assume that they’re being fake, putting on an act, or just in plain denial.

So what does this mean? Are we doomed for life? Is our fate sealed into negativity or can we turn it around?

The mind can take a life of its own when unchecked. Most of your psyche and mental mechanisms can work against you, and will typically continue to do so as long as you leave your mind to its own devices. Your pathological inner critic will do everything it can to drag you down (very actively). Our negativity bias, a remnant of our earlier days of surviving by avoiding possible dangers, bad fortune, etc., will steer your focus towards all things negative. And the wonderful concept of neuroplasticity, which is neither good nor bad, has the power to hardwire your brain into negative thinking if you don’t interfere.

Going up against these odds can seem impossible. But what’s the alternative?
Can you afford not to?

Without taking action and awareness against your negative train of thought, you’re allowing self destructive patterns into your life. These include but aren’t limited to deep depression, anxiety, self doubt, lack of energy and motivation, and an aimless life of emptiness.

What can you do to cope with your negative thoughts?
How can you counteract them? And best, rid yourself of the habit of negative thinking?

First you need to know, you cannot get rid of negative thoughts without consciously acknowledging them.
This can be extremely unpleasant and too painful for some. Many people are more comfortable avoiding this and would rather stay in their negativity than even attempt to break the cycle. Others go from this first step of becoming aware of their thoughts straight into victim mentality. This is not where we’re headed.
Please be aware, that in a brief article like this, I can only provide you with some surface points and a rough outline of the process. Explaining all of this in detail requires a more extensive medium and we’re doing exactly that in our programs at Feel Different.

What you need to know about how to counteract your negativity is that first and foremost, you need to become aware of your thoughts and thought patterns.

Becoming aware of when, meaning, in what situations and context do these thoughts most often occur?
Upon recognizing this is when you must redirect them to other, consciously positive thoughts. Defaulting to thoughts of gratitude tends to be a healthy habit to replace the negative.

It’s easier said than done to begin with but with practice and patience, you’ll be able to naturally start intercepting your thoughts and steering them in a healthy direction. Like any habit, good or bad, it takes consistency.

In the long run, this will help you become more confident and self assured in any situation you’re facing. Be it confrontations with friends, family, coworkers, or just in life challenges in general.
You can’t fully eradicate all negative thoughts, that is an unrealistic goal. But you can learn to dismantle and redirect the destructive energy of negative thoughts. You can turn your pathological inner critic into a constructive critic and as a result, change the direction your life is heading right now.

At Feel Different, we will provide you with the practical everyday tools you need in order to do just that.

Fill out this quick survey to see if our newest program is the right fit for you.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or specific challenges you may be facing.
I’m happy to help.

Take care,
Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Shifting the focus to your strongest self

We’re all aiming to be the best version of ourselves. It’s a lifelong commitment that can seem like a never ending process of development, which it actually is. There’s no final stop of growing unless of course, we completely give up.

As we continue to grow and learn to better ourselves, we’re constantly shifting our focus to areas of life that need attention.

How can I grow my confidence?

How can I be a better partner? A better friend? A better parent?

What do I need to do to become truly successful?

How can I find and create meaningful relationships?

Many people think it’s a matter of overcoming their weaknesses. And that is what society teaches us which can be very much ingrained in our everyday patterns and routines of thought and action.

Our pathological inner critic paired with our negativity bias focuses our attention on our shortcomings, our obstacles and all the things we’re lacking.

It’s logical to think that what you need to do is to improve in these areas. By becoming better at the things you’re not good at, you’ll eventually become better, period. Right? Not exactly.

As a result of this kind of focus, your energy goes directly to your weaknesses which in turn keeps you in a weaker state. All the while, little to none of your energy is going to your strengths. This is where your true potential lives. As they say, energy flows where attention goes. If all of your attention is on your weaknesses, you risk leaving your strengths to become weak.

And the sad truth is, the majority of people let their strengths fall where they may. Not realizing that this is exactly where they need to spend most of their time, energy, and focus.

The fact is, you can achieve more and grow faster, if you focus on your strengths. This is where your true potential lies and what will help you become more confident and in turn, more successful.

Your strengths are all of the positive attributes you have. The things that come natural to you. This is typically why you may not pay much mind to these things and dismiss them as something normal or unexciting.

But if you shift more of your attention to these parts of you, you’ll see that what comes natural to you, might be a challenge for others around you.

USE WHAT YOU’VE GOT

When you shift your awareness to the positive things you’ve already got, you start cultivating your life and the energy around it. This can help enable you to figure out how to further use your strengths to your benefit. This is the way to set you on your path to your life’s purpose.

Focusing on your natural strengths will keep you in a state of confidence and healthy self-esteem.

The first step in getting there is becoming aware of your strengths.

You can do this by looking at yourself from the outside and giving attention to what comes naturally to you. These may be small things like your ability to stay attentive, being thorough, or being able to see the bigger picture when others focus on the immediate details.

YOUR BEST STEP FORWARD

The challenging step is to cultivate your strengths and talents into something more. It’s common to see naturally talented people fall into contentment or laziness because what they’re naturally strong at, others may have to work hard for. This can be a setback for the talented person, simply because they were granted this strength without having to work as hard. This may lead to bad habits, contentment, lack of awareness, or an overall life imbalance due to overlooking their strengths. The real struggle for this person is in their self-awareness and really seeing their strengths and how they use them to provide value to the world around them.

The key is to control your focus. The more you focus on your weaknesses, the more you feed your lower self which takes from you and adds nothing more than self-doubt, fear, and all of your other limiting characteristics.

Shifting your focus to your strengths however, keeps you on solid ground. In a state of personal power and purpose.

At FeelDifferent we specialize in this. We provide practical methods and guidance to help you remove distractions, overcome toxic thought patterns and habits. We help you clear the way to your best and strongest self.

Explore our program by filling out this quick survey and one our team members will reach out to you.

Warmly,
Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Undoing the Negativity Bias

game-over, netagivity

Have you ever wondered, why is it so much easier for us to dwell in our sorrows, fears, and doubts, while shunning and downplaying anything positive?

WHY ARE WE DRAWN INTO AND SO EASILY ATTACHED TO THE NEGATIVE?

It seems like each and every negative experience in our life is branded into our memory but the positive things slip away into the forgotten. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

The human mechanism at play here is called “negativity bias” and is something that is absolutely and unfortunately normal.

Some researchers from evolutionary psychology think our negativity bias is a remnant of times when it was critical to assume the worst of a situation for our survival. In early human history, the one who acted like there was a saber-toothed tiger behind every corner was more likely to survive than the one who did not. But we’ve long outlived saber-toothed tigers and most other dangerous predators of the wild. So why can’t we rid ourselves of this survivalist habit of old time thinking?

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD DEALING WITH YOUR NEGATIVITY BIAS IS AWARENESS.

As long as you’re unaware of this default pattern of thinking and feeling, it will continue to work subconsciously with no chance of you countering it.

“Your brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.” Rick Hanson

This leads us to holding onto negative things, continuing to feed them and blow them up to the point of being amplified, and usually exaggerated, in our memory.

WHAT IF YOU DID THIS EXACT THING BUT WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES?

Seems simple and logical but it’s certainly not as natural or common. When you counteract the negativity bias by actively and intentionally embracing positive experiences and committing them to your memory, this rewires your brain to focus on the positive instead of the negative. I’m not talking about just “thinking positive” but about something much more effective and deeper. Something I call “taking in the good.”

Positive thinking is like forcing yourself to be positive, turning a blind eye to the negative and suppressing it as a form of denial. I’m not asking you to do that. I’m asking you to accept your natural tendency towards the negative but balancing it through an active practice of taking in good feelings. Whenever you have a positive experience, big or small, consciously give gratitude to it and lock it into your memory.

Allow yourself to feel the positive, bask in it, and embrace it as part of you and your life experience.

IT TAKES PRACTICE. MAKE IT A HABIT.

To escape the constant draw of the negative, you need more than some nice affirmations or motivational sprints. You need an overarching vision, something that will help you through times when you’re truly struggling and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In order to rewire your negative bias, it requires conscious and healthy habits to replace the negative and destructive ones that continue to hinder you.

A series of daily positive habits eventually enable you to create space for yourself that’ll give way to your life’s purpose. This is crucial to you overcoming your negativity bias and to start living a fulfilled experience as you were meant to. As we are all meant to.

In our new program you’ll learn about this concept and how it is connected to your inner critic. To start living your life toward your potential, you need to learn how to deal with both. They are a part of you and always will be and the longer you allow them to live unchecked, they will continue to limit your life experience.

But with the appropriate tools, they can be managed.

In our program “Your Fate is NOT sealed”, we provide these tools in a way that’s easy to comprehend and can be applied to your daily life to bring real change.

To learn more, please fill out this quick survey to be sure our new program is a good fit for you.

Warmly,
Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Precision > Perfection

Is there a difference between perfection and precision?
And if so, does it matter?

The thing about perfection is that it can’t be reached. Perfection allows no flexibility, no room for experimentation, no space to grow or learn as you go. It’s a very black and white philosophy – all or nothing.

SO WHY IS IT SO COMMON IN OUR CULTURE TO REACH FOR THE UNATTAINABLE? AND HOW DOES THIS AFFECT OUR INNER-BEING?

While some may say it’s good motivation to set high expectations and “reach for the stars,” perfectionism is most typically a downfall. It’s one of the biggest brainwashed conditions we are taught to believe from an early age that can carry on through adulthood and lead many of us to continual self defeat and endless disappointment in ourselves and others.

WHAT IS PERFECTIONISM IN REAL EVERYDAY LIFE?

Perfectionism is more of a philosophy than anything. Because it’s unattainable and completely subjective, it’s often strived for in a competitive state. The perfectionist mindset can come from early childhood, typically from the parent who wants nothing more than their beloved child to be the greatest living being this world has ever known. Though it may come from good intentions, the effects are rarely positive.

When carried on through adulthood, perfectionism can often be seen as you attempting to overcompensate for your perceived deficiencies. Disguising this as competitive or somehow superior to others, is more often your pathological inner critic trying to “motivate” you to be the “best” while holding you to impossible standards. It stems from a fear of never being good enough, pushing to prove the opposite to yourself and to others.

In this case, the ultimate root of perfectionism is low self-esteem. It’s from you feeling inappropriate to life, feeling less than average, and unqualified. You might also find perfectionism as one of the key ways imposter syndrome manifests itself into your life.

Even if you do not identify as a full on perfectionist, many people still have this tendency to some degree. It can be in the habit of beating yourself up when you feel you’re falling short of your goals. Or if you’re the type who is routinely striving for unbelievably high expectations, ultimately setting yourself up for failure.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT PERFECTIONISM AND HOW DO YOU CHANGE THIS TO A MORE REALISTIC APPROACH TO LIFE? 

While perfection is not achievable, precision is.

Precision means doing whatever you’re doing to the best of your ability with the tools and resources available. Doing the best job possible – for you at this exact moment.

Contrary to perfection, precision allows for mistakes. It factors in the human element and gives space for this, remembering we’re not machines. It factors in who you are with your flaws, your faults, weaknesses and shortcomings.

Being precise in what you do means giving your energy to the quality and focus of your work, while being attentive. Most importantly, precision is achievable. And it might look different for everyone.

Rather than trying to be perfect or do things perfectly, try to focus on doing things as well as you can, to your potential and to your best ability.

Become aware of when you’re falling prey to your perfectionistic tendencies and pause to reflect. Ask yourself if your goals and expectations are realistic and within what you’re capable of attaining.

This is the easiest way to monitor yourself and stop the habit of catering to your inner perfectionist and to ultimately overcome these tendencies.

If you’d like to learn more about this topic, check out our program “Your Fate is NOT sealed”.

Please feel free to reach out and contact me with any questions.

Warmly,
Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The challenge of self-acceptance

Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in? Or, like you aren’t dealing with situations the way a “normal” person should? No matter the circumstance, does it always feel like something is wrong with you?

Let’s take a step back and zoom out for a moment.

In reality, we all struggle with different challenges throughout our lives. Some more, some less. And the experience of beating ourselves up from time to time happens to the best of us.

IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE DAMAGED.

It’s more than likely that your current issues are temporary, they’ll pass in time,  and most importantly, you have the power to change them.

But to do so, you first need to accept, rather than resist. Resistance is where the pain and struggle is. It naturally and unconsciously complicates any situation, big or small. Accepting your current state and whatever your situation is right now is your first step forward. This will help you put things in perspective so you can more clearly see the situation for what it is, start to work through it and soon enough – resolve it.

In short, this is the power of self-acceptance.

IT’S THE KEY TO INITIATE CHANGE IN JUST ABOUT ANY DIFFICULT SITUATION.

The problem is, many people are unwilling or unable to look at their lives honestly. The idea of observing life from the outside and dissecting their issues that way is completely foreign, or just too painful.

In many cases like this, the person is afraid of what they may find if they dig deep enough in their self-reflection. This may deviate from an image they’re trying to uphold, it may conflict with some of their embedded beliefs or traditional ways of thinking, it may even affect some of their real life choices that they might be attached to – ie. relationships, friends, job, etc. It may just be too much to deal with, and easier to just keep going with the way things are. This is just life. Right?

Sure, it is life. And things can remain. But at what cost?

The longer you deny your truth, your self-acceptance, the longer and harder you’ll be conflicting with yourself and any adverse situation that arises. The energy that you could invest into confronting and, in turn, resolving your issues is instead, exhausting itself in a constant battle against your reality. You vs. you.

“But it should not be like this.”

“I should have gotten xyz.”

“He or she should have…”

All the should have, could have, would have of life will haunt you forever if you let it. This does nothing but prevent you from connecting to your inner-self, from accessing your own individual power. This is where your true value lives, in your self-esteem.

The self-avoidance and run around of blaming others sucks up all your energy. And what you resist, persists! This is why, when you do not recognize and resolve a problematic pattern in your life, it continues to return in various ways until you do. That’s, if you do. And if you don’t, it only worsens to the point of permanence which is the breeding ground for much deeper issues.

WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR US TO ACCEPT OURSELVES?

Many people confuse self-acceptance as meaning to be content with life as it is currently. As if it is a way of just saying yes to all of your flaws and to stop trying to improve yourself and striving for a better life.

This is not what self-acceptance is.

Self-acceptance is actually the first step on your journey to building healthy self-esteem and connecting to your own internal and individual power. It’s the beginning of you creating the life you want to live.

Self-acceptance is like pinpointing your location on a map. Looking at what is right now and taking stock of all that is there and your surroundings. Only when knowing where you are on the map can you start planning your next steps to your desired destination.

The same is true for any journey of self-empowerment. You need to be aware of where you are to get to where you want to be. You don’t have to love the spot you’re currently in, but for as long as you’re unwilling to accept it as a step in your journey forward, the efforts to change will be much more challenging.

Self-acceptance means accepting yourself the way you are right now. With all your flaws and issues. With all the things you want to fix, including your desire to become a better person and to continue to change your life for the better.

When practicing self-acceptance, you can begin by saying: “I accept myself with all my flaws and faults. Including my desire to overcome them.”

Remember: this moment you’re living right now is just a snapshot of your life. It’s one moment in time. It is not fixed and your acceptance of it does not make it permanent. It only shows you where you are on the map of your life so you can charter the course to your ideal destination.

If you want to learn more about this and how we help with the fundamental practices of self-acceptance, visit our program “Your Fate is NOT sealed” here. Fill out a brief questionnaire to see if it’s the right fit for you.

If you have any questions or thoughts on this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]

Warmly,
Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Self-esteem > Confidence

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “I wish I could be as confident as this person is in that situation?”

Trying to muster up the strength to be as self assured as the other person, finding the right things to say at the right time, all the while struggling with your inner fears and doubts?

CONFIDENCE IS A QUALITY THAT IS CRUCIAL THROUGHOUT LIFE AND ALL OF ITS CHALLENGES.

When we live confidently, we hardly think about this. But as soon as you’re faced with a lack of it, the sunken feeling of smallness can be painfully undeniable. 

The question is, how you can become confident in such a way that allows you to be sure of yourself in any situation?

Right now, you might feel confident in some areas of your life. Or you may feel confident to just a certain degree. But when faced with a challenge, would you remain as confident as you are now? Would you be sure, and trusting in yourself and your abilities?

This kind of confidence is much more than a mere facade you put on for colleagues, friends or family.

TRUE CONFIDENCE IS ROOTED IN HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM.

It is not the pumped up bravado of “I can conquer the world” type of confidence, but rather a quiet knowing and inner trust that you can handle anything life brings your way. A still and steady calmness that helps you navigate through all kinds of waves and obstacles in your life.

You can have low self-esteem and still be confident on some level. But this confidence is little more than a mask that is likely to fail when tested. Low self-esteem will always undermine your confidence. It will make you doubt yourself. It breeds feelings of unworthiness and lives in your deepest fears and anxieties, bringing them to light at the worst possible moments.

For you to be truly confident and self-assured, you need to nurture a healthy self-esteem.

YOUR SELF-ESTEEM IS THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE.

It influences your individuality and behavior on a fundamental level and in every area of your life. From your relationships to business decisions, to your family and friends. A healthy self-esteem is knowing your true value, your self-worth, and holding yourself in high regard no matter what circumstance of life you may be experiencing. This is paramount for your confidence and for you to start completely trusting yourself.

Never underestimate this connection. Confidence can be like a fair weather friend. It’s right there with you when all is great and you’re feeling good about your life but quickly disappears when any challenges arise.

To build real confidence, you must be grounded in self-esteem. To know your strengths as well as your weaknesses and to accept all of it as parts of you, is to truly know yourself. To truly accept and respect yourself, no matter the circumstance. This is healthy self-esteem. And this is where real confidence lives.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE?

To learn more, please check out our program page and fill out a brief assessment to find which of our programs is best for you.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why men must earn their existence

Man’s place in the world is that of a potential leader. A provider and a contributor to society. He must earn his place in society. He must carve out a path and create a life for himself and his family. Women and children do not face this same circumstantial pressure for their existence which makes men unique in this way. Without his proven ability, a man is viewed as subpar, inadequate, “under construction” – in other words, not yet a man.

The root of man’s ability to step into his life’s purpose is his inherent power, his masculinity.

BUT MASCULINITY DOESN’T HAPPEN ON ITS OWN

For a boy to become a man, a significant transition needs to happen. An intentional event, or ritual, needs to take place that initiates the boy into manhood. At least this is how it’s supposed to happen and has happened in traditions across the world since the beginning of time.

Unfortunately, this has become lost in American culture for decades. We can look to the military or college as a few basic comparisons but neither can even remotely substitute for the intentional rites of passage for boys to become men.

TO LEAD AND PROVIDE FOR OTHERS, A MAN MUST EARN THEIR TRUST AND RESPECT.

As a man, in order to lead, you must be able to prove yourself and prove your strength and abilities.
This is an innate part of being a man and is directly connected to your masculinity.
This is what individualizes you and grants you the ability to become a proven leader and provider for your community and/or family. This is what being a man is.

Only a boy would expect to be respected and trusted as a “man” without first proving himself as such. Without contributing something to society. Without providing any service to the world around him. This is the state we are currently in with excessive public exposure and means to express ourselves, we are seeing a large amount of self-entitled and self-absorbed boys speaking out their delusions of expectancy regularly. This is what our high schools, colleges and universities are now breeding.

Self-entitled boys are becoming the established norm and it’s a wake up call to reclaim what we collectively identify as men and masculinity. Otherwise, we risk extinguishing masculinity as we know it and settling for subpar boys to take the place of our men which equates to zero leadership, zero progress, and a complete devolution that we have yet to experience.

WE NEED REAL MEN, NOW MORE THAN EVER.

As a man, it is imperative for you to claim your calling, your life’s purpose.
To create your way and to contribute to the world. This is the way it’s always been and must be in order for us to keep progressing forward. Steel sharpens steel and strong men create strong communities and families. The masculine is the force that drives change and movement throughout even the most challenging times. To deny this call would be to deny yourself as well as the world around you.

THIS IS THE ROOT OF ALL MAN’S GREATNESS.

To step into your power as a man, you need to embrace your masculinity and the responsibility that comes with it. This is essential for you to find and claim your place in society, and to become truly comfortable in your skin as a man. This is what grants men respect from their peers, from men and women alike, and separates great men from the mediocre.

Any relationship struggles or feelings of emptiness or stagnance can be directly rooted in this lack of purpose. This disconnect between men and their inherent masculine power.

There is no quick fix or automatic amount of respect or love given to a man just because he is who he is. No man is given anything in this life. He must earn it.

EACH OF US HAS A PURPOSE AND A MISSION TO ACCOMPLISH WHILE WE’RE HERE.
HAVE YOU FOUND YOURS?

Visit our Masculine Program today and fill out a brief assessment to see if it’s a good fit for you.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Life hacks for powering through any new skill

In learning any new skill, there is a real journey involved. A series of wins, fails, aha moments and pure humility. Even our most talented leaders across any field will share this. No matter the skill level, achievement and growth will take time, patience and consistent dedication. Whether you’re learning a new sport, physical training, or a new software, much of the journey requires a strong mindset. Even in the most rigorous physical training, the mind can be your best supporter or your downfall.

Learning a new skill can be exciting and eager to some, at the same time, daunting and crippling to others. It’s a matter of mindset and self management.

We’ve put together a few practical hacks to help you keep your mind strong and focused through learning any new skill.

BE REAL WITH WHERE YOU’RE AT

The first step in taking on any new skill is to level your mindset to accept that this is new – you’re not going to know everything from the start. You’re likely not going to be naturally gifted at it, you might actually be pretty bad – and that’s perfectly ok. To learn a new skill, you need to remember this and accept it, at least at the beginning, and stay open minded and open spirited to allow yourself to ease into it.

ELIMINATE COMPARISONS / ENCOURAGE COMPETITION

Constantly comparing yourself with other people will never help you grow. There’s a fine line between competing and comparing so be careful and aware of your actions in this area.

Comparison can be unproductive and self-defeating especially when you’re trying to grow at a new skill. Learning something new can be intimidating, especially in a class or any group setting where we tend to look to others as we learn. In this moment of comparison, you might find yourself feeling like you should be farther along in the process. Like you’re falling behind and should be able to keep up. 

The truth is, you are your own person and can only work from where you are right now, at your own speed and at your own conditions. You cannot rush or force yourself to learn quicker, this never works. You need to allow yourself the space to find your own pace at which you can grow. PATIENCE is key.

There will always be somebody better, faster, stronger and more experienced than you are. This is inevitable, so forget it – don’t even think about it. Comparison should be dismissed and replaced with constructive, friendly competition if anything. 

Competition, on the other hand, can be healthy in that it keeps us striving for better. It gives us goals and milestones to accomplish to keep us inspired and engaged to keep growing. It can also be a fun bonding experience to share with a friend or fellow teammate.

THE HEALTHIEST FORM OF COMPETITION IS COMPETING WITH YOURSELF – YOU VS. YOU.

Some of the most accomplished athletes, musicians, artists, leaders of all types note that they stay in competition with themselves. This means, you strive to be at your best and to outdo your former self, to be better than who you were yesterday, last week, last year, etc. Focusing on your own growth and achievements in this way is a great tool for measuring personal progress and keeping you on a continual path forward. It can help you navigate your personal journey with a clear perspective as to how far you’ve come along, what your next goals are, as well as allow yourself to celebrate any wins or milestones you have achieved thus far – this is important in keeping your morale up and to keep yourself engaged.

FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS

Rather than focusing on all the ways you may be lacking – skill wise, ability wise – focus on what strengths you do have. Focus on what you’ve already accomplished. And if you are brand new, focus on the fact that you showed up and are there to learn something new. Many times this is the hardest part, going from the idea phase of something you’d like to try into actually taking the leap and showing up. You made it!

SELF-ACCEPTANCE

Self-acceptance is part of the practice in that you need to mentally be at peace with yourself throughout your journey in order to stay focused – ego aside. This is a strength that comes with focusing on your goals, controlling your mind rather than allowing your pride or emotions to control you. Challenges will come and go but your focus is your grounding point. It’s your inner strength that enables you to power through challenging moments rather than folding under pressure. Your focus and self-acceptance are both important in helping you to monitor your general level of skill so you can best assess what you need to work on most, what you have already learned and what to prepare for next. Placing unrealistic expectations that may be too high for where you are now is a bridge to self sabotage. Grass won’t grow faster because you’re pulling on it. On the contrary, you might uproot it and destroy any progress you’ve made by pressuring yourself too much which is counterproductive. Let yourself breathe and flow through the learning process.

SELF-EMPOWERMENT IS THE REWARD

Learning any new skill is always a step toward self-empowerment. It’s proof to yourself that you can achieve what you set out to do, no matter the size or the seriousness of it. This can be extremely valuable in building your self-esteem and confidence which is essential to living a fulfilled life.

A self-empowered individual, one who is self-aware and practices self-acceptance, allows themselves the time to grow at their own speed, consciously and confidently, without beating themselves up for any challenges or mistakes that come with the process. To achieve this level of maturity is a reward in itself in that, once reached, it can be applied to any aspect of your life.

To learn more about this, please check out our self-empowerment through purpose program or contact me directly for a consultation.

Respectfully,

Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

You vs. You – What’s holding you back

Over the course of our lives, we become masters in talking ourselves out of things. Things we dream of, desire, things we wish we could experience and various opportunities we wish we could explore. They begin as innocent ideas in our minds that we simply let pass by with no real meaningful reason as to why.

More often than not, there is nothing standing between you and the things you want to try and/or do but your own self doubts and fears. It’s all in your mind.

As simple as it sounds, and as cliche as it is, it’s true. The mind can be your greatest friend or your worst enemy. It’s up to you to train it and teach it how to treat you.

To keep yourself in check is an important character trait we need to master in order to maintain our focus on the significant things in our lives. Weighing the pros and cons of specific decisions is a skill every one of us needs to learn if we want to achieve our goals. This is a disciplined skill that comes with work and work ethic. But at times, these practical skills in reasoning and weighing out consequences in the logical sense can be the exact thing that is holding you back from actually doing.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS OVERTHINKING. AND THINKING YOURSELF OUT OF THINGS CAN HINDER YOU MORE THAN HELP YOU WHEN IT COMES TO EXPERIENCING LIFE.

Think about it. Have you ever talked yourself out of doing something you really wanted to do? Maybe a project you would have loved to pursue, a hobby you were interested in?
Something you’ve always wanted to try?

But then you thought about it and your mind decided you were just too old, not experienced enough, it was too late to start now, you didn’t have the resources, it wasn’t realistic enough, and many other reasons that seemed quite logical and rational and completely deadening to any part of your curious spirit.

But what if, maybe, you’d given up before you even gave yourself the chance to explore the possibility that none of those things in your mind were true?

What’s holding you back from living your life to your true potential is exactly these things.

The often unconscious fear of not being good enough. The fear of failing. The fear of not being able to meet the standards you’ve set for yourself.

How many opportunities have you missed because you’ve adhered to these fears? How much regret have you accrued because of this? How are these fears continuing to restrict and restrain you in your everyday life?

By giving into these fears, you are effectively disconnecting from your personal power – the one thing that can and will drive you forward in life. The inner flame that will propel you forward and toward the things you really want. By dismissing this, you’re cutting yourself off from the opportunity to grow through new and untapped experiences. You’re denying yourself the possibility to explore your passions, your curiosities that can contribute to your evolution as a person as well as inadvertently impact the life of your loved ones through your personal growth.

WHEN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE FREE AND CONNECT TO YOUR PASSION, YOUR PERSONAL POWER, YOU INSPIRE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE TO DO THE SAME.

With an unchecked mind, we all have the tendency to give up or not even try, out of fear of not being good enough. It can stem from a number of things – insecurity, self-doubt, past failures, trauma, a deep emotional wound. Ultimately and at its root, it’s a disconnect from your own personal power.

If you catch yourself in the process of talking yourself out of things you actually really want to pursue – stop for a moment and ask yourself, why you might be doing this. Check your awareness of what you’re doing and why. Differentiate if the reasons “why you can’t” do it are actually valid or if they are just an excuse for you to not face a situation that may be uncomfortable or awkward. Typically, this brief discomfort lasts only for a few minutes at most, if any.

And in most cases, it just might be worth the discomfort to give it a try. You may just discover some things about yourself you did not know before. Through the process, you might just surprise yourself and actually enjoy the experience, even if it’s nothing like you had imagined. The unpredictability of trying and learning new things is where the magic is. It’s where you learn and grow.

At the end of the day, we do not regret the majority of the things we’ve done, but the things we have not done or did not try.

By overcoming your fears and tapping into your personal power you’ll empower the people around you to do the same. Share this experience with your family and loved ones and you’ll be astonished at how fast your life can change for the better.

If you want to know more about this topic, check out my program Self-Empowerment through Purpose or contact me directly via email at [email protected].

Respectfully,

Orlando Owen

Posted on by — Leave a comment

There is no “Us” in Isolation

Why are we more isolated than ever? Is it by choice?

Even prior to the 2020 pandemic, our level of isolation and distance from each other has been the norm for some time now. Is it social media? Internet culture? Streaming services?

ARE WE HAPPIER AT A SOCIAL DISTANCE?

With people living virtually and vicariously through a screen, the “need” to actually connect with others in real life has taken a downturn.

Where has this led us to?

According to the stats – plenty of suffering.

From deep loneliness and depression, to social anxiety and panic, to excessive drug and alcohol consumption, to complete emotional disconnect and apathy, to increased suicide rates. It’s all of this, and then some. 

ISOLATION IS THE NEW NORM.

How can it be that you can feel completely alone in a roomful of “friends”? Why are we indifferent to connecting and committing to other people in real life? And does it matter?

By nature, we are social beings. We have an innate need to connect with our fellow individuals. Even the most introverted of us have an inner need to connect, to relate with others, so be it, a select few. Personal connection and relationships are crucial to our well-being. Our individual health is rooted in our ability to connect with others and form balanced, meaningful relationships. This is why we begin socializing children even before they can speak coherently. The importance of sharing, relating with one another and connecting is essential to our growth. And this doesn’t stop in adulthood.

As adults, some of us may not make an effort to meet as many new people or be as social as we once were, but the need to relate and connect with each other is just as important nevertheless. The hazard of isolation is that there can be such a thing as too much time alone. This can lead us to essentially live inside our minds, our own personal bubble, and lose a sense of reality outside of this space. On the other hand, there is also a danger in spending too much time socializing and not enough time in seclusion whereas one may lose themselves, their own thoughts and energy, in the act of exhausting it with others.

ISOLATION AND TIME TO SELF-REFLECT IS IMPORTANT, BUT THERE MUST BE A BALANCE OF BOTH – TIME TO SECLUDE, AND TIME TO SOCIALIZE.

It is fairly typical for us, especially as adults, to struggle with this balance which inadvertently affects our relationships. In this time of collective isolation, it is important that we stay cognisant of this and make an active effort to maintain our ability to connect with others, as well as nurture our existing relationships.

If this is something you are currently experiencing, visit our program page under RELATIONSHIP BUILDING + CORE VIRTUES. We have an immersive section that deals with the balance of self maintenance and relationship building with many core principles around this that are sensible and practical in applying to your life.