We Are Our Own Obstacle

Hi there,

Last week we talked about happiness, and I made a strong claim

Happiness is a habit we can all develop…

Some of us replied with some version of the following:

• "I don’t deserve happiness, so practicing it won't work for me."

• "If happiness is a habit, everyone would be happy."

• "Are you saying that my current unhappiness is just because I'm not trying hard enough?"

• "I think it's too late for me to change my mental habits and become happier. What if I try and fail?"

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Here are my 5 cents: It’s completely normal to feel this way. These reactions and reflections mean you’ve got a big opportunity ahead.

🧠On My Mind:

Picture this:

Sunday night, 📺 and Inside Out 2 is on, my lightbulb lights up 💡 

I need to write about this!

We’ve talked about Gremlins in the past. This week, let’s explore other mental obstacles that hinder our growth and perspective, called GAILs.

Let’s talk about GAILs.

• G -Gremlins: Negative self-talk or internal critics that tell us we're not good enough. They undermine our confidence to “protect” us from failure.

• A- Assumptions: Preconceived notions about how things should be or how people will behave. They often lead us to imagine worst-case scenarios, stopping us from taking action.

• I-Interpretations: Personal meanings we assign to events or actions of others, distorting reality and leading to misunderstandings or negative emotions.

• L - Limiting Beliefs: Deep-seated convictions that limit our potential, like believing we're not worthy of success.

🔍 The Why:

Because most of us tend to drown in a glass of water…

Many of us rationalize our emotions, believing we deserve to feel the way we do. This is a common story that keeps us stuck.

• G - "If I share my problems, people will think I'm weak or incapable."

• A - "No one else has experienced what I'm going through, so they won't understand."

• I - "If I talk about my issues, others will judge me or dismiss my feelings."

• L - "My problems are too unique or special to be understood by others."

At their core, these thoughts are common to many. The real obstacle is to recognize the filters we are using to experience our lives.

🕰️ When to Take Notice:

Every moment offers us the opportunity to question how we think and behave, especially if we're not satisfied with our life.

In this email, we've explored typical self-imposed mental obstacles.

These are different from your external blocks, things we can’t control:

• Money

• Resources

• Environment

• Time

• Location

• People

Recognizing these messages, our internal blocks, lead to true freedom.

🏆 Transformative Moment:

Take 5 minutes out of your day. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, let's learn more about ourselves.

What was one Gremlin, one Assumption, one Interpretation, and one Limiting Belief you had in the past 24 hours? (Writing them down helps.)

Stay posted as we will deep dive, with examples, into GREMLINS on Thursday!

♻️ Share this newsletter with someone who would benefit from it.

Keep Going, Keep Growing,

Your Coach and Friend,
Carlos