Are You Stuck in Your Life?
By Dr. Margaret PaulDecember 31, 2006
Do you try to figure things out but don't take action? Do you believe if you read enough self-help books and take enough seminars you will find the answer?
Are you constantly reading self-help and motivational books yet nothing changes? Have you tried many different forms of therapy yet still feel unhappy, anxious, depressed and alone? Do you often have the answers for others but not for yourself?
The problem may be that you are intent on "fixing" problems rather than learning about what is in your highest good and taking the loving action.
You will stay stuck when fixing is more important than learning and taking action.
Are you an information addict - reading everything you can in the hopes of finding the right answer to your problems? Even when you do come across something you can do to make things better, do you do it? Or do you stay in your head trying to figure it out rather than take the actions you need to take? This would be like reading everything you can about exercise and thinking about exercising, yet not taking the action of actually exercising.
I run into this issue all the time with my clients. The Inner Bonding process is a powerful process for getting unstuck, as well as for healing the underlying issues that keep people stuck. Many people will read my books and even have sessions with me, yet are completely resistant to actually practicing the process. They can spout the theory and even teach it to others, but because they are not practicing it, nothing changes for them.
For example, Jonathon sought my help because of his depression over money. Jonathon is a person who reads everything, yet nothing works for him. His business is falling apart and so is his marriage.
In my first phone session with Jonathon, I heard his endless negative self-talk.
"Nothing will ever change for me. I will always be a loser. The things that work for other people will never work for me. I am going to end up on the streets. It has always been this way for me and always will be. Other people are lucky but I am not." On and on he went. No wonder he was so anxious and depressed!
I asked him to imagine that he was saying these negative things to his actual child.
"I would never say things like that to him - it would scare him."
"Yet this is what you are constantly saying to your own inner child. You are constantly scaring yourself with your negative self-talk."
"I know. I treat myself really badly. But I can't seem to stop. I've read your books and I understand the Inner Bonding process, but I don't think it can help me."
"Have you tried it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't think it will help me. I don't think it will work."
Jonathan wants a magic pill to fix him. He doesn't want to have to take the action that will help him.
His negative self-talk is a form of control. He believes that if he beats himself up enough, he will somehow get himself to change. He believes that beating himself up will fix things. He is as addicted to negativity as someone else might be addicted to alcohol, and it won't solve his problems any more than alcohol will.
Jonathan doesn't want to know that his negative self-talk is what is causing his problems. He doesn't want to know that he is actually the creator of his own life and that he is creating what he doesn't want instead of what he does want. He doesn't want to know that his anxiety and other painful feelings are his natural inner guidance system letting him know that he is off course in this thinking. He doesn't want to take responsibility for his own thoughts and feelings and for what he creates in his life.
Until Jonathan wants responsibility for his thoughts, the resulting feelings, and his actions or lack of action, he will stay stuck in resistance, stuck being a victim.
Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Course: "Love Yourself: An Inner Bonding Experience to Heal Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Addictions and Relationships."
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Daily Inspiration
It takes courage to stand in your truth. It takes courage to speak your truth when you fear others may be angry, rejecting, punishing. Yet when you make controlling how others think of you more important than speaking your truth, you lose yourself, you lose your integrity. Today ask yourself which is more important - others' approval or your integrity?
By Dr. Margaret Paul