Using Past Experiences And Future Beliefs To Get Unstuck
- Mar 15, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 7, 2022
Written by: Leannda Shearer, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You're standing on the ledge of something big and something new. Your mind is resisting it, feeding you old stories of how things have all gone wrong in the past, while your future self is craving, dreaming, yearning for this change. What is present you to do???
As humans, we like being comfortable, but if you're at the point where ok is no longer fulfilling, it's time for some things to change. Maybe you aren't mentally there at the moment… but if you use the lessons of the past combined with the hope from the future, they can help guide you to a stronger belief in your capabilities. Now is the time to call on them to help present you.
Calling on an experience can give you strength, courage, and reassurance that you can do big, scary, new, challenging things:
We all have a little voice inside us that likes to bring us down. Some are louder than others, but they are there, and sometimes they get the best of us. When you're on the verge of something big, that voice becomes louder until it convinces you not to do it. When this happens, we can look to our past selves to find evidence to dismantle those limiting beliefs.
I looked to myself ten years ago when I needed a strength boost. I said yes to an opportunity that would change the whole course of my life, as cliche as it sounds. I never faltered from that choice though so many variables were entirely out of my comfort zone. Leaving the place I'd grown up in, living with people I'd never lived with, going someplace I'd never gone, living in a swimsuit year-round. None of that stopped me. That girl was strong, and she was brave. And to this day, I'm still in awe of her. She is my strength; she is the louder voice saying, you can do this, you can do big scary great life-changing things, and not only can you do them, but they will also be better than you ever thought possible.
What experience in your past can you lean into to prove your limiting beliefs wrong? Even if it's something small. Did you finish something you set out to do? How did it feel? Did you find joy in an unexpected place?? Make a list of all of these to help guide you and cut off the old stories that are no longer serving you.
Calling on future you for guidance:
If you're like me, you've envisioned everything you want in life. How it would look, the things you would do, how you would spend your time, what you would feel like, and the list goes on and on.
Calling on your future self requires two things. The first one is to look at your life and see if you embody any of those things you currently want. Are you acting like the person that you want to be? Are you doing something right now aligned with how you want your desired life to look? If you are not, make a plan to start adding some of those things into your daily life. How does your future self spend their time, what they wear, and how they carry themselves? One of the easiest ways to do this is to sit down and write everything you want to achieve, how you will feel, who will help you, and make a plan.
The second you need to do is prepare for the things that might get in your way and how you will handle them. What habits will you have to break, and how will you do it? Do you need some outside help to get over limiting mindsets, either a therapist or a coach? What people can you put in your life to lift you and support you, and what people might need to leave your life, so they don't bring you down?
We can all have the life we envision for ourselves, but it takes more than just thinking about it. It takes action as well as having a solid foundation. Your past experiences and future beliefs can build you up to conquer it all. Sometimes it takes going a little back and a little forward to get you unstuck from the place you currently are. These insights are at your disposal anytime you need them, to be used time and time again on your journey to the life you envisioned for yourself. Past and future you have your back. Now show them what you can do.
Leannda Shearer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Leannda Shearer is a resilience coach currently living in Traverse City with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. She is an Idaho native who loves the beach, yoga, rock climbing, and designing flowers. Past experiences combined with her life as a military spouse have led her to create her own business, The Resilience Coach. She is passionate about helping those who are overwhelmed, over-scheduled, and feeling stuck. Leannda helps her clients build their boundaries, cultivate strong mindsets and reawaken their creativity.
