Is that sinking feeling really because of your job?

Happy Monday! And if you were one of those who felt that “crunch” about heading back into work today, let me ask you: Is that sinking feeling really because of your job? (What if it’s not?)

The truth is that a lot of people wake up dreading the time that they will be spending on the job and yet they don’t really see a viable alternative . 

Clearly, we all need money. 

So how do you balance that need to bring in an income and that desire to live a life that you authentically love?

First let me ask you what would it feel like to consistently wake up in the morning feeling energized and alive? 

Sure. There might be a few bumps in the road every now and then, but you tend to sail over them like a rock star…

If you’re already there, fantastic! 

If not…

Imagine how it would impact all aspects of your life if you were to regularly start your day feeling READY…!

Ready to interact with those around you without the doubt, without the dread, without the fear, the self-criticism or that heavy, HEAVY feeling that you’re struggling to stay afloat in a world where the odds are stacked against you.

Let’s face it…

When you’re not feeling your best, you might have the tendency to fall into the “I’ll be happy when ____” trap. 

And since we spend so many hours of our day working, many people who face that crunch immediately think that “I’ll be happy when I get away from my current company and get a new job.”

“When I get into a better job where I’m truly appreciated, where I’m making an impact and making more money, THEN I’ll be happy.”

What if I were to suggest that this might not be the golden ticket that you are looking for?

Without a doubt, just as there are toxic personalities, there are also toxic work environments. 

However, it is also true that you take yourself with you wherever you go. 

So I have  found that if you want to achieve lasting traction for more energy, more joy, more “carpe diem”, you absolutely must start by shifting your focus from that external world to what’s going on in your inner game. 

You have to stop giving the conditions around you carte blanche to determine how you feel. 

That starts by committing to participating more deliberately in the thoughts that you think. 

It’s the difference between going out to sea in a boat with holes in the bottom believing that you can solve the problem by taking a bucket or deciding to fix the holes in the boat before leaving the shore. 

Although it can take commitment, determination and professional guidance to make some of those important internal transformations, without a doubt, the effort is worth it. 

And yes, a by-product of those efforts can be new opportunities and better income. 

For my client Lynnette, it meant that she gained an entirely new level of confidence. 

With this new confidence, she decided to apply for a management position on a team that she knew she would love to work with. 

Thanks to her shift in the way she viewed herself, she nailed the interview and was almost immediately offered the position. 

Lynette, who previously was embarrassed to talk about her strength and skills, who could barely identify what she was passionate about, became a woman who could still be herself. 

But she became that epic version of herself. 

In her new position, she easily got beyond the “newness” of her position. She quickly earned the respect of those around her. 

Even though she isn’t what you would consider an extrovert, she discovered her own charismatic qualities.  

She started innovating and reconnecting this team. She inspired them to start working together, to share ideas, to get excited about possibilities even in the midst of organizational conflict and change. 

So yes, in Lynette’s case, she did change jobs. However, it wasn’t that she became happy because she changed jobs.

It was that she found a fulfilling job because she had learned to create her own core foundation of confidence and joy. 

Imagine walking out into the world, interacting with your family, your friends, your business colleagues as that biggest boldest version of yourself? 

Imagine what it would feel like to walk into your next professional meeting feeling unstoppable?

So if you felt the crunch this morning, before you say, “I’ll be happy when ____”, ask yourself these 3 questions: 

— What can I control?

— What can my mind believe?

— What might I be assuming that is not necessarily true?

Even clients who come to me believing that they have tried everything, that they are stuck like no one else DO see dramatic change. 

But that change only comes when they are willing to start by first taking a deep look at how they are playing their own inner game. 

You CAN feel fulfilled. You CAN feel inspired. You CAN feel passionate and joyous and alive. 

However, it does require you to commit to some rethinking. And to agreeing to replace outdated patterns with new ones. 

Will it be worth it? 

I’ll answer that from my own experience: a resounding and EPIC YES!!!! 

So if you’re feeling the crunch, GREAT! Use this as the catalyst to make some changes. And let that first change be to the way that you play your inner game.

Remember: we may not always get to choose how long we play on this amazing planet but we do get to choose how epically we live while we are playing here! 

Stay Fearless and Live a Live Without Limits!!

Xoxo

Meridith