We all do it:
Long for more
Want what’s next
+ pine for expansion
And doing this doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t appreciate what we have.
Our desire for more can feel like a betrayal to our reality.
We tell ourselves that we are small, ungrateful people for dreaming bigger.
Guilt’s sharp, unforgiving blade finds its place in between our ribs.
Its pang runs deep and piercing.
Our fear convinces us that if we reach for the promotion, the home, the body,
the paycheck we decimate the value of what lays before us.
Of course, our fear is wrong.
Because it rarely, if ever, speaks the truth.
We get panicky in our well-intentioned desire to get this life “right.”
We can sound like this: “I want it. But I feel guilty for wanting it.”
This is an empty place to be. It’s full of mixed messages + will keep us stuck.
The reality is….
You are entirely capable of entertaining two states of consciousness at once.
You can be grateful for what you have now and desire more.
You can be content here in the now + simultaneously be scanning the horizons of potential.
You can say, “yes! thank you for this gorgeous, beautiful life and by the way I AM ready for more!”
This is the perfect, imperfection of our humanity.
The gratitude AND the striving.
Practice being aware of your desires + bubbling preferences….. minus the judgement.
Judgement will mitigate and crush potential.
Gratitude for the now, mixed with celebrated desires will give you great, big, expansive wings.
End the guilt trip.
Roll around in gratitude.
Look forward.
+++++++++++++++
Dr. Dowling has spent years helping people live richer, more joyful lives. She has seen firsthand the magical pairing of psychology and life coaching, which allows people to access their happiest selves.
View Dr. Dowling's articles on Mindbodygreen
- Maybe I’d be Happier with Someone Else? - Apr 25, 2023
- Mastering An Attitude Of Gratitude & How to Maintain Feeling Grateful - Mar 28, 2023
- How Do I Find Joy in Life? - Feb 24, 2023