No prison is a pleasant place. I know, I’ve worked in many… and seen things most people will never see.
Sadly, many people live their entire lives trapped in another type of prison – a mental prison. What’s keeping them there? Negative thoughts, unhelpful beliefs, insecurities, self-doubt, fear… a prison of their own making. They are stuck in a place where they are just… waiting. Waiting for their lives to get better. They want to move forward but have no idea how. They feel they can’t change things.
Sounds familiar? Are you locked in a “prison”? Is this the life you really want? Escaping from a prison of negative and destructive thinking can be a real challenge. But let me tell you something – your mind is a powerful thing! You can unlock your mental prison and transform your life.
How?
Awareness: You must become aware that you are in a mental prison in the first place. There can be no change without awareness. Start observing your thoughts and thinking patterns. Is your inner voice harsh and judgemental? What is it telling you? Do you torture yourself over making the “right” decisions? Do you dwell on the past or worry about the future? You need to recognise that you are stuck.
Acceptance: Acknowledge and appreciate who you are. Accept ALL aspects of yourself – the good and the not so good. Before you can make meaningful changes to your life, you must first accept yourselves unconditionally. When you accept yourself as you are, you put yourself in a better position to start improving yourself and your life.
Action: Step into action. Once you have learned to accept your reality – and yourself as you are – you can begin to work on changing things. But less is more – baby steps are often the way. Your mindset took years to develop so be patient. Re-training your mind won’t happen overnight.
So, do you want to remain trapped inside your self-imposed prison? Or do you want to set yourself free?
The choice is yours!
Would you like to learn more? Get in touch today.
Eila Mikkonen
Counsellor, Coach & Mental Fitness Facilitator