Now before you come at me with pitchforks and torches because of that title, hear me out. We all have things that we want in our lives. We don't have them now and in order to get them, we have to make changes. This can be problematic for us, especially if we don't have confidence. And the reason we don't have confidence because we don't trust ourselves. So how to we build that trust and add to that confidence stock? I've got an easy habit for you to establish and you can actually start today.

I guess you could say one of the pillars of the Inside Voice Podcast is trying new things. I'm a firm believer that experiencing something new is good for us. It stimulates us mentally, it builds character, it sharpens our Inside Voice... the list goes on and on. Well my friends, I did something new. I took the leap into a new project and it has been exhilarating. Although it still new, I wanted to share a few things I've learned and what has helped me in this process.

Can we agree that the last year and a half has been heavy? Add in anything else that you may have struggled with and it can feel unbearable. It's left many of us in a fog, feeling disoriented and inauthentic. At least, it has for me. I haven't been showing up on social media for fear that people may view me as fake, especially in light of losing my mom earlier this year. So how do we get back to that place of being true to ourselves and showing up in an authentic way? Here's what has been working for me.

We all know that comparison and negative talk go hand in hand right? You can't have one without the other it seems like. In my experience, there are three main things that I consistently compare myself to and it holds me back every single time. I'm sure you're first thought is "people on social media" and you would be right. But what are the other two? I find that the other impossible measuring sticks are our past and future selves. So let's dive in and unpack those.

What's something we all want in life? Control. We want to feel like we are the lead actor/actress in our own lives. We seek that out by trying to control every aspect of it. And while we can't have control of everything, we can certainly take control of ourselves. Creating a routine, or daily habits, can give us the ownership that we need in a world that seems so chaotic. It may not solve all of your problems, but it will definitely prepare you to face them.

Can we talk about loving yourself for a moment? And I'm not talking about some Disney channel mumbo jumbo. Do you have enough respect for yourself and the body you've been given to take care of yourself? It's not just about physical health. It's about your mental and emotional health. See, I believe that overall wellness starts will three very simple ways of taking care of yourself. Basic, easy-to-apply things that can change your life. In fact, they've changed mine. Wanna now what they are? Let's dive in. 

When is the last time you did something that you loved just because you loved it? It seems like a silly question, but sometimes we hold ourselves back from doing what we want. For me, I used to let who I thought I wasn't keep me from living life on my terms. This is why seeking your Inside Voice, who you are at your core, is so important. When you get to know you, you can start living life to the fullest without any reservations. So... who are you?

Over the last few weeks we've talked about the importance of our mindset and ways to shift our mindset. By far, I believe the biggest way to consistently keep your mindset in check is to focus on service. Much of the yuck in our minds comes from dwelling on ourselves. This is a result of an idle mind. However, if we can get our minds off of ourselves then we can start to shift our thoughts to something positive and motivating.

Do you ever find yourself scrolling through social media looking at everyone's beautiful photos and just feel... blah? You actually close the app feeling worse than you did when you got on? This is because you probably (subconsciously) were comparing yourself to each of those photos. You decided (in you mind) that they're perfect and you're not. If we're going to chase our biggest dreams, we can't think we don't measure up. We need see the things we already have around and in us that can propel us forward.

It's Part 3 of our Mindset Matters series. One of the limiting questions that can creep into our minds at times is, "what's the point?" I've asked this several times since losing my mom however, this thought can also creep in when we are chasing our dreams and we hit a speed bump. It can be easy to just throw up our hands. When this happens we need to ask ourselves, "what's my purpose?" This reminds us of what the point is and can keep us moving forward.