I was reminded today of how hard it is to be who we want to be.  First we must free our minds, heart and soul to dream the new being.  Then we have to believe we can be this dream.  And finally we have to craft a plan to become this dream. 

For many, the most difficult step is the second one - believing we can be the dream - because we allow our fears to get in the way.  It doesn't matter what or why we fear, if we allow the fear to have any power over our actions and consciousness.  You see, fears damage our ego, our self-confidence, and our perspective.  Fears sabotage our efforts to move towards the dream. 

It's like being tripped, pushed down, or kicked in the shins. As one friend notes, her inner bully is suddenly able to affect her self-esteem.  We begin to question whether we can be successful at something "new."  Our inner bully is feeding us all the evidence to convince us that we can't.    And it sounds so real and true!

I like to think of it as negative and positive energy, the fuel of all activity.  Imagine if we were plugged into a wall outlet pumping positive energy to feed our self-confidence.  Suddenly, the switch is flipped, and the energy turns negative.  If we don't flip the switch back quickly, our physical and mental state becomes more inspired by the negative rather than the positive.  We slow down, cling to our comfort zone, second guess ourselves, and make mistakes.  So we slow down some more and eventually hibernate.  The next time you venture out, you regret the time lost.

The trick is to know how to flip the switch back to positive energy, and to do it quickly. We all have tricks that we have learned over time: talk it out with trusted friends, remember past successes, and consider the benefits of being the true you and living your values.  You have been successful before, and you will be again.  You can do anything!  Negative thoughts are false!

Most importantly, you need to avoid the temptation to wallow in the abyss of "why" you are affected by the negative energy.  If you can't -- if you have a strong need to understand the "why" because it feels too real, than take your question to a professional, learn a "new truth" from the self-analysis, and then let it be.  "One and done" as they say. 

So the next time you find yourself struggling to believe in your dream, it's time to flip the switch back to positive energy.  Or if you have an inner bully, then you give that bully one long stare down, and walk away. 

Walk forward. 

If you want, RUN!