Why You Need To Understand The Why of Your Behaviors
Background Information
I read a very good personal growth blog article today on Medium. This article is my response, which is based on what I also shared via #Periscope during the #StartUpStrong live chat this past Tuesday. The goal of what I am sharing here on Medium is to simply show the link between personal growth and business growth. [SHAMELESS PLUG: I also teach about leadership development in an online class, where I make that vital connection between business and personal growth.]
What I Shared / Talked About
As I read the personal growth article on Medium earlier, I just kept thinking about what I shared during this past Tuesday’s live chat on periscope. I also kept remembering the positive, passionate response I got from viewers. I stated that our behaviors will not have lasting change until our minds and hearts are first changed. I also had a great conversation with my brother about this, as both of us have been working towards better health goals. Most, but not all, of the folks I talk with about this seem to recognize the link between how we think and how we act.
What is even more important for this lasting behavior change to happen (more important than thoughts and actions)? Being deeply rooted or grounded spiritually is the key to lasting lifestyle changes. When you approach lifestyle change from a spiritual perspective, it turns into what you do flowing out of who you are.
When you are coming from a spiritual place, it is no longer about just doing better with eating so you will look better. It becomes about being better because you understand that YOU ARE ALREADY BETTER. You as in the spiritual being inside of that physical vessel.
WHY UNDERSTAND WHY?
ACCEPTING YOUR SPIRITUAL SELF
YOU, the spiritual YOU, are already whole, blessed and healed. Once you accept yourself, now the outside parts of you can come into alignment with WHO you are inside, which is an eternal spirit. Align with the eternal YOU, instead of just simply conforming behaviors due to external motivation. These external motivations (i.e., looking better) will eventually fade with time. So, the behavior that has been conformed due to external motivations will also fade over time and revert back to old behaviors.
What lasting lifestyle changes have you already made? Compare those areas with other areas where you keep reverting back to past behaviors. See the difference?
SELF-HATRED AS MOTIVATION??
Focus your energy on embracing your strengths; on accepting yourself. Do this instead of using self-hatred as a motivator. Shaming yourself will backfire. Accepting yourself opens you up to align your lifestyle with your awesomeness. It also feels so much better than beating yourself up and feeling ashamed or guilty all of the time. This is pretty intuitive. It’s a no-brainer to want to feel better, right?
In the periscope video from this week, I talked about a specific bad habit that was impacting my business and my money. It was a sneaky, hidden confidence stealer for me. It undermined my understanding of who I am. Once I realized that, I was able to let go of it and haven’t looked back much at it since then. I say no because it is simply not a part of how I view myself anymore. It doesn’t fit The Real Me anymore, so I don’t do it anymore.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
— PERICOPE: See live and replay videos on periscope, click here.
—ONLINE CLASS: See archived videos, join free preview class — click here.
