Who or what are you allowing to hold you to ransom? Where are you stuck and what can you do about it? This thought occurred to me on a Sunday-afternoon walk recently. Walking is a great way to clear the mind, quietly take stock of one’s life, and look at where you might be leaking energy.

We often think it is big things that are holding us back, but you may be as surprised as I was when I got back from my Sunday stroll. I sat down with paper and a pen and wrote down all the things on the left-hand side of the page that I felt were holding me back; that I was allowing to steal my power, my energy, my independence, or my ability to move swiftly forward and impact on more people.

I thought it would be a list of 4 or 5 things and it landed up being 15 things that were stealing my energy and taking up precious head space. From the worry of my long password list not being in order; to possibly controlling and hosting my websites and domains myself instead of outsourcing. From the fear of getting Covid and how that would impact on my business and whether I had the right insurance cover for such an event; to actions I had to take around the POPI Act being implemented at that time, and more.

On the right-hand side of the page, I created a heading: Action. I asked myself some questions about each item on the list that I felt was holding me to ransom as well as the answers:

  • First question: So, how’s that working for you?
  • Answer: Not very well, it’s causing me …
  • Second question: Forget the past; what do you choose to do about it now?
  • Answer: Whatever choice or action I can make or take

The answers and solutions were, more often than not, sitting right in front of me. Just because I took some time to get everything out of my head, within 2 weeks at least half of the items on the list had been dealt with. Some just needed to be let go of completely. Others required a quick decision. Still others were just a call for support to help me unpack a situation (like checking-in with my financial adviser about my insurance cover, just to get reassurance and stop leaking energy on worrying about something I didn’t need to worry about at all!)

Sometimes, it’s just the story you are telling yourself that things are difficult or are insurmountable, that is getting in your way.

What or who is holding you to ransom? Who has allowed that, and what are you going to do about it? Interestingly, most of the time, you are standing in your own way. As soon as you realise that, things change very quickly.

Each of us changes the world one choice at a time, one minute at a time, one step at a time.

No-one and nothing can hold you to ransom without your permission. Things get in your way or become difficult because you allow them to. Get them out of your head to diffuse their power and take action.

Much love,
Nikki Bush
Human Potential and Parenting Expert helping you to win at work and life

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