Don't try too hard or...

I hope you've had a fabulous summer. 

To finish the sentence I started in the title here - don't try to hard or...you might get hurt.

Ever been told that? Or thought that? I have.

If it's someone else saying it, it's typically a well meaning person (our partner, parents or friends) trying to protect our happiness. They don’t want us to feel bitter disappointment when we don’t succeed.

It can seem safer to be cautious, to tread carefully and not get our hopes up too high. After all, if we fail we'll just have to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts again, right? If we don't care too much in the first place, we have less far to fall. 

Actually, even just writing that I've slightly depressed my mood. That's how powerful those words and phrases are. Do you feel it reading it?


Phew.

It's perverse logic but we say these things to ourselves (and hear them from well-meaning people) all the time. Whether it's you or not, you need to shut it out.

I don't know anyone who's reached the top of their field with a 'but I probably won't be able to' attitude. I'm making a stand for confidence here - much better to fake confidence than be so self-deprecating that you start to believe your own rhetoric about how little you can accomplish.

You are powerful.

Think back over your life and career. Think of something you achieved that seemed 'crazy'. A mad deadline you met. A job you got tapped on the shoulder for. A plane you jumped out of.

Yep, that was you. You're great. 

So it's time to stop absorbing negative thoughts. How, you say? It's as simple as deciding.

You notice the negative thought, thank your brain for bringing it to your attention, then choose a different thought.We need you feeling resourceful so you can go after what you want. Resourceful thoughts = a resourceful state = a resourceful you.

And we already know that when you're at your best you're unstoppable.

Hit reply and tell me your goals for the rest of the month - you've got this.