Do you feel like where you are at in life is where you’re supposed to be? I ask this a lot in therapy, and very few people can say they have achieved their true potential in life. The distance between where you are at and where you want to be is usually filled with lost dreams, disappointment, and feelings of regret. We let other people’s dreams get in the way or we let life circumstances derail us. We may forget why we started out on a dream in the first place. We end up just surviving instead of thriving, not truly living out our purpose in life. In this episode of the podcast, we are going to explore the secrets to unlocking your true potential. This is not a feel-good conversation, you will get pushed in this episode to unlock what’s been holding you back.
Key Takeaways
•The space between where you are at now and where your dreams are is likely filled with excuses, not reasons. Target those excuses and come up with a plan to overcome them and look towards opportunities.
•You must continuously reframe the lies your mind tells you. Just because you may not currently have what you need to succeed doesn’t mean you can’t work towards it one step at a time.
•Take this podcast as a starting point to revive your dreams. Go through the exercise, recognize your dream and your excuses, and start forward on a plan to succeed.
Episode Moments/Quotes
[5:48] – Dr. Neely starts walking you through an exercise to recognize your unfulfilled potential
[8:40] – “Excuses have a way of tricking us that they are the truth.” -Dr. Neely
[13:34] – “Words are powerful. The words you tell yourself, the story, the narrative that is in your head has the power to determine your direction.” -Dr. Neely
Research on the Topic
Research by Professor Joanne Dickson at Edith Cowan University shows that failing to progress towards our goals is not as harmful as the tendency we have to ruminate, or overthink, our lack of progress. She explains that our ideal self is who we ideally want to be and our ought self is who we believe we ought to be based on responsibilities, obligations, and more. She states, “our findings showed that perceiving one’s hopes and wishes as unfulfilled and the loss of desired positive outcomes increases emotional vulnerability and psychological distress”. We need to be kind to ourselves and keep our self-guides in perspective”.
Want More?
Check out episode 69: What Lesson is Life Trying to Teach You? for more information on what may be holding you back from your potential.
Resources/Things Mentioned During The Show:
Drop The BS Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dropthebspodcast/
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Neely Counseling Center: http://www.neelycounseling.com
