They say that mindset is pretty much everything. You can have all the skill and talent in the world but if you don’t have the right mindset, you’ll undermine your ability to successfully utilize those talents. If you set your mind to something and have positive focused intent, you can pretty much make it happen. I actually have tons of proof of this. I was the queen of determination. I’d set my mind to something and, dammit, I was gonna ensure it happened. My sheer willpower was enough to make anything happen. And it did. I don’t say that to brag. (Heavens no – more than half of what I manifested into my life by my intentional mindset wasn’t even what truly made me happy). I say this because I know it’s true, and I’m sure you do too. And now I’ve changed my mind about all that. Not that I don’t think mindset is important – it absolutely is. Positive mindset and attitude is a huge factor in success and creating the life you want. However, I think there’s a bigger factor in creating true fulfilling success. There’s something more powerful to add to the mix.
Your mind is a powerhouse. That is a known fact. But what’s driving your mindset and your focused intent to achieve, create, and succeed? Is it a pull from your heart and your gut? Or is more about what you think you “should” or “have to” do to measure up or achieve what others deem to be successful? Are you setting your mind to something because it’s the next “logical next step” because of what others have done in similar situations as you? I used to answer yes to all of those questions and this is where I discovered mindset falls short. This is where I discovered the missing piece in creating true fulfilling success – this is where your heart and gut come into play.
As I mentioned, I was the queen of setting my mind to things and achieving them… the next logical step in my career, (whether it was the promotion, new job, move to a new location) and eventually the next growth phase for my business. Yep, I’d set the goal because that was what I thought I should be doing or what others had done who paved the way before me, and then I’d focus on it with all my intent and make it happen. After it happened (whether it was the promotion or next growth phase for my business — whatever it was), I’d think, “huh – okay. That’s great. Why don’t I feel fulfilled?” I wouldn’t stop long enough to really answer that question, I’d just move onto the next achievement thinking that would be the one that fulfilled me.
But, not anymore. Now I know why I didn’t feel fulfilled, despite my hard work, my achievements, and my positive mindset. I didn’t feel fulfilled because I wasn’t paying attention to what my heart and gut wanted me to do. Had I been paying attention, I would have noticed that what my heart and gut were feeling was not open or excited but closed off and clenched. For many many years of my life I was setting my mind to achieve things that weren’t aligned with my heart. As long as I did that, I would never feel satisfied and fulfilled, no matter how many corporate promotions I got or how big my business grew.
Here’s the thing… our heart and gut cannot lie to us. They don’t know how. They just nudge and pull you towards what your spirit wants (which is where your purpose and your fulfillment lies, by the way). The same is true for your body. Our bodies are constantly giving us messages about which way to go, which path to take and which to avoid. But we tend to ignore our bodies, as we do our hearts and guts. Unlike our hearts, guts, and our bodies, our minds can lie to us. Our brains are brilliant and they can talk us in and out of anything. I can’t tell you how many times I’d actually feel a closed-off clenched feeling in my gut about something I was setting my mind to achieve and would ignore that closed-off clenched gut feeling and keep pushing forward, because my mind said to ignore it. This is an ego-based and fearful way to live and is steeped in what our society deems to be the “right” path for a successful satisfying life; however, we are here to be individuals and the only way we can do that is to listen with our heart and gut and heed what they tell us. Then the mind comes into play. Heart and gut first, mind second.
Once we start paying attention to the goals and achievements our hearts want for us and trust them enough to set our minds on achieving those, we are in alignment – mind, body, and spirit. That is when the power of mindset can propel us forward to success that is deeply fulfilling and satisfying. When the mind is set with positive intention on the desires felt from deep in our hearts and guts, it does become everything. Mindset becomes everything because it is leading you to your place of purpose and fulfillment.
A good way to ensure you’re acting from the heart and gut before proceeding is to first is to ask “why”? Why do you want to do what you have set your mind on achieving? As you answer the “why” question, answer with your heart and gut. Pay attention to how they feel. If you don’t feel anything from the heart and gut, chances are you’re doing it for some of the reasons I stated at the beginning (should, have to, others said I need to…). And you can continue on that path and be quite successful; however, is it success based on your terms? And, are you truly satisfied with where you’ve ended up? When your why comes from a heartfelt feeling of expansion and openness (or any other feeling you equate to positivity) the achievement will fulfill your heart and soul, which is the only place where true satisfaction and success lie. Despite what our minds will tell us, our truest sense of fulfillment only comes from the heart. Start there and allow the mind to follow. I promise you won’t be disappointed with the results.
