Over the last few months, I have spoken to numerous people about my impending move to Italy in a couple of weeks. More often than not, I hear, "you are so brave! I wish I could pick up and move to Italy!"
To me it's not about being brave but about knowing that I I have the power to make my dreams come true. When I suggest that others can also move to Italy or start a business or whatever their dreams are, they often come back with excuses.
If I didn't have debt, I would do it...
My kid's in college. It's not the right time.
I'm not that brave!
I want to scream that these are just stories that people tell themselves and that they are not true.
Fear Blocks Manifesting
Why do we tell ourselves the stories that keep us from living our dreams?
Mostly, it comes down to fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of what might happen if we actually live our lives the way we dream of.
Fuck fear.
Life is too short to be living life according to how we think we are "supposed to."
If I lived the way I thought I was supposed to, I would have stayed in a marriage that limited my creativity and happiness. I would continue to live in a city that requires me to work more and longer than I would like in order to afford to live here. I wouldn't take risks like starting an intuitive business coaching company. I would play it safe.
And I wouldn't be as happy as I am now.
Take Bite-Sized Chunks
I'm not denying that making dreams come true requires an inordinate amount of work, time, and energy. Believe me, while it's exciting that I'm moving to Italy, my brain is fried most of the time because I'm straddled between two worlds right now.
When my coaching clients feel overwhelmed with the idea of starting a business, I encourage them to take bite-sized chunks. I invite them to make a list of all the small actions that need to happen for one step.
For example, if a client is trying to figure out what kind of business she wants to start, I might ask her to make a list of all the things that bring her joy in her life. To make a budget of how much money she needs to live. To look into similar businesses in her area. Each of these steps by itself is not overwhelming, though the idea of starting a business may be.
What Stories Are You Telling Yourself?
If, in reading this article, you are coming up with your own stories that are preventing you from living at your dreams, I encourage you to make a list of those stories and then ask how true they really are.
Then ask yourself where the fear is coming from and what you are afraid of. When you remove fear from the equation and cancel those stories from your brain, you truly see that anything is achievable.