excusesWhen you look at your life – how you spend your days, where you live, who you surround yourself with, etc. – do you feel happy, content, passionate, satisfied, and joyful? Or do you feel resentful, angry, sad, apathetic, and afraid?

Regardless of which description depicts your life, do you believe that you have created it? Would you agree that no one – absolutely no one – is to blame for your unhappiness or dissatisfaction? Just like no one else can take credit for your happiness and contentment. It all comes back to you.

We have all created our lives. 100%. And sometimes that can feel empowering, especially when your life is working wonderfully. But other times it can feel disheartening. Like when you look at your life and feel like nothing is going right.

At some point in our life, we are going to get tired of blaming others and disempowering ourselves in the process. At some point in our life, we are going to step up, stop making excuses, and start creating the life we know we are so deserving of. 

I know all about excuses. Really. I have made so many of them throughout my life.

For decades, sickness was my go-to excuse. I let myself off the hook far more often than I should have because I knew I could fall back on being ill. I allowed myself to stay safe – depending on others – for years because I was too afraid to step up and grab my own life by the reins and live!

I used the fact that I was shy as an excuse. I would gracefully bow out of opportunities because I didn’t want to be in the spotlight.

I used my crooked teeth as an excuse to not be seen. I’ll wait until they are straightened, I said to myself. Then I’ll be ready to get out there – into the public eye. (I had braces as a teenager and didn’t wear my retainers… lesson learned for sure.) 

I used my work as an excuse to keep me from going within and connecting with my soul. There was always a deadline and always a reason why there wasn’t enough time to  take care of myself and love myself a little bit.

I used my lack of money as an excuse to keep me in a busy cycle – again so I wouldn’t have the luxury to go within and discover/uncover what was going on deep inside my soul.

So many excuses. I had been making them for so many years, and I didn’t even realize they were excuses. I had used them so often that I truly felt that they were my truth.

Wow.

Until one day, in a rare moment of reflection, I realized that I was the only one who could change my life. I was the only one who could turn things around. I was the only one who could consciously choose to stop making excuses and start living – really living.

This meant facing fears and moving forward and feeling uncomfortable and diving inside my heart to discover the deep reasons why I began making these excuses in the first place – what I had been avoiding and why.

And it’s not like this process started one night and was complete by the next. Definitely not.

It meant saying yes to opportunities. It meant stepping through my shyness and physical insecurities and allowing myself to be seen. It meant slowing down and not working around the clock so that I gave myself time to reflect and go within.

To be honest, the process continues even today. It’s a moment-by-moment awareness. It’s a constant checking in and asking myself if I am being true to my soul or if I am shying away from it. This consciousness has become like a best friend to me – staying by my side and frequently asking me throughout the day if I am making choices that empower me or disempower me.

I can tell you that underneath the excuses was pain and sadness and regret and disappointment. And it wasn’t fun to work through all of that. Definitely not. But clearing all of this gunk out and moving into a clear space – a new space – felt so freeing. A space where I could begin again and choose to live without excuses for myself or my life.

And that’s what I wish for us all. To choose the path of empowerment and self responsibility. To honor our soul by staying conscious and being brave enough to walk along this journey without excuses. To be brave enough to step into whatever scares us – knowing that we are always loved and always taken care of.

So now it’s your turn. 

Where in your life are you making excuses? 

Where in your life are you not being completely honest with yourself? 

Where in your life have you given away your power?

And how can you get it back?

Because I know you can. You are so strong – so very strong. 

And living a life without excuses is such a beautiful and empowered way to live. 

Who wouldn’t want that?

Please help spread the love by sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter.

Big hug,

jodi

 

 

 

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