My coach used to repeat this to me regularly.
Eventually, I worked out my own version of it: you are more powerful than your THOUGHTS.
Of course, positive thoughts can help to increase confidence e.g. through self-affirmations and rewriting narratives.
But it turns out that your power lies beyond the mental thought stream. Your power to perceive, process and respond creatively lives beyond the endless torrent of proliferative mental activity (what Buddhists call Papancha)
(Did you know that it’s been estimated that 95% of our daily thoughts are repetitions and that 80% of those are negative?…A figure from the National Science Foundation)
How do you go beyond thinking?
I see how my clients’ power grows exponentially when they learn to reconnect with the awareness beyond repetitive thinking and show up from this place. It’s the most powerful, non-violent human force in the world:
Presence.
Presence is the byproduct of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a learned skill of paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, without judgement. Some people call it ‘focus’ but it’s much more.
Presence is best experienced than theorised.
Presence is very practical. No need to become a hermit or live in an ashram. It’s possible to show up with presence in daily interactions once you see through the mental proliferation game.
With presence, your world transforms, your life flows again, you get more done with less energy.
Legend in the making: Let's celebrate Dr E. She was feeling overwhelmed about returning to work after maternity leave. Her psychotherapy practice had been on hold during her pregnancy, and she was also in the process of presenting her PhD proposal while applying for the next role which was a step up the ladder. She was feeling anxious about how to balance all of these responsibilities and struggling to weave together the multiple strands of her career portfolio career. Through our coaching process, we focused on helping her bring more presence to how she showed up in her professional and personal life. We worked on developing her leadership mindset so that she could cut out noise, prioritise what matters and sustain her energy. It became easier to articulate and communicate her vision and show up as a calm, visionary leader not an anxious subordinate. Within two short months of working together, she successfully interviewed for a new role with a team who respects her portfolio career; she has restarted her psychotherapy practice with aligned, paying clients; and presented her PhD proposal with great feedback. Join me in congratulating Dr E on successfully completing not only a return to work but also creating the next level of her career as a leader in her field bringing more presence to her work, her family and herself.
The world is in dire need of humans who are more present. Be part of the Presence (r)evolution.
Presence · Power · Possibility.
Have a great week,
Amina
