Are you holding on to more than you can carry? What would it feel like if you only carried around what you needed? The things that filled your heart with only what serves you and drives your purpose further. So many of us carry things that do nothing but weigh us down. Treading water becomes more and more difficult until you can’t stay above the water any more. If the things you are carrying are so heavy, why are you holding on to them? How to let go of what is weighing you down begins with thought work.

We walk around with past wrong doings to us heavy on our hearts, we think about all the ways we are failing, and holding on to expectations of others that they are not capable of fulfilling. The things that weigh the heaviest upon us, are the things that are out of our control, and yet that tends to be one of our biggest focuses. Here’s the big question: Why is that? Are we holding on to our past because its easier to live there? Are we holding others to expectations we know they will never meet because its easier to be mad at them than to accept flaws? Do we thrive on our failures so we can compile a list of proof that says, see, why even bother, look at all the times I’ve failed?

I know that I have been an expert at getting in my own way, living in my past, and allowing external factors out of my control, to affect how I feel about my own life. Its so exhausting. It took me looking up from rock bottom and not recognizing my life or who I was in it, for me to finally get the hint. Something had to change. I had to change. I needed to learn who I was without leaning on old issues. So now what to do?

Thought work. And lots of it. I learned that this is actively recognizing the thoughts you have, when you have them. Managing your mind is about not letting your thoughts control your emotions, and therefore fueling your actions. Living by your emotion fueled actions is crazy pants. I started thought work in one area first. I wanted to work on the concept that you are responsible for how you feel. No one else can make you feel a certain way. Sure someone can say mean or rude things, but their words are not responsible for how you feel.

For example, at work when someone says something to me that makes me feel insecure and therefore hurts my feelings, I stop for a second and dig a little deeper. Is there truth behind what they are saying? If so, is there evidence to back it up or is your insecurity something you’ve made up in your head? The bottom line is, even if what the person is saying to you is true, you can simply take it at face value. You do not have to allow it to cause an emotional reaction.

Have you ever done thought work before? Do you think you will give it a try? Let us know in the comments or send an email!

You can also check out a freebie we have that helps begin to rewire the mindset. Check it out in this post here!