I love working with metaphors and imagery when working with clients (and they do too once they realize how powerful it is to discover the language of their own subconscious mind).
I’ve heard many metaphors when it comes to explaining our belief systems. Today I’m going to use the idea of a plumbing system to explore what is stopping you getting the results you want. I really know nothing about plumbing in real life so if you do happen to be a plumber please humour me!
People say ‘go with the Flow’ but what if your flow is blocked?
Many years ago my dear sister once said to me gently when I felt blocked, “Just start, just let the dirty water run out of the tap so the clean water can flow”. Although she was talking about taking imperfect action, that idea always stuck with me, that our ‘inner flow’ can be clear or contaminated.
Let’s imagine the progress of your small business or freelance career is like a stream of pure crystal clear water flowing endlessly from a celestial tap that starts with your mind (stay with me…)… it leads to a beautiful flowing river that eventually leads to a vast ocean. That ocean is full of healthy vibrant life-forms and it is a pleasure to rest by its shore listening to the heartbeat of the waves or to sail its calm seas discovering new places.
So how is your tap flowing? Do you feel connected to your river? Does your calm ocean seem far away?
Are you blocked?
Is anything blocking your flow?
You can start to explore by looking at these questions which reflect some of the issues my clients come to me with:
- Am I attracting the kind of clients I truly want?
- Am I attracting the income I really want?
- Do I feel a sense of freedom and choice in what I do?
If your thoughts have become somewhat negative or cynical just from reading or thinking about those questions then there is a block to your flow. Note I’m not talking about your results here, but about your thoughts.
Mental blocks are limiting beliefs that float around in your ‘source tank’ like stagnant water poisoning your fabulous life-force. Every time you turn on the tap for the pure water, it can’t flow properly due to a rotting old belief past its sell-by date blocking the way and leaving you wondering why everything feels so difficult or impossible.
We live inside our beliefs and it can be easy to forget when and how they got created. Many of those old beliefs were even fun or useful at first. They may even have served a purpose way back.
Remember Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy? Someone told you they were real at one point and you believed them. Then one day it dawned on you that those ‘facts’ were fairy-tales and you simply let them go.
But with some beliefs we are never informed they’re not true or that they are actually someone else’s opinion that you absorbed when you were young. I know someone who still falsely believes they can’t sing because a school-teacher somewhat spitefully told them so.
Top tips on releasing your blocks
Fear not, there is a way to deal with these limiting beliefs. You just need to flush away that stale water. Try following these tips:
First of all recognise your old limiting beliefs. Meditation, journaling or talking with a supportive friend can help to develop your awareness. This can take a while to master which is why many people hire a coach to help them recognise their own patterns of thought.
Be open to change: accept that these old beliefs are just an invented part of your mental landscape. To do this requires that you are open to new thoughts, ideas and feelings.
Realise that you can always create new empowering beliefs at any moment. Again this can take practice but simply challenging your own assumptions and habits can help.
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