My interest in personal growth and development dates back to my teen years, but it wasn’t until the last decade, and the incredibly stressful life events I’ve experienced, that I understood how much personal power we all have. I truly believe that your attitudes and thoughts determine the way your life will go.
It’s all about shifting your mindset away from what is going wrong towards all the amazing things you have in your life.
This shift can happen on a small scale – like when you’re having a bad day, but choose to focus on the beauty of the sunshine instead of your broken furnace. Knowing that your thoughts change the course of your life can open up endless opportunities.
Let’s say you lose your job unexpectedly. If you get stuck in the worry over what might happen (I’ll lose my house, I won’t be able to support my family, etc.) you can’t move forward. And those things may very well happen. But if, instead, you envision what you want, you dare to dream big and embrace the possibilities, amazing things can happen.
I’ve done a lot of hard work and soul searching to get to where I am today, and I know how difficult it can be. I also know what joy and abundance can result when you find the courage to face your past experiences and learn from them, no matter how painful they are.
We all have stories from our past that show up again and again in our attitudes, perceptions, and relationships. We don’t have to let these past traumas rule our present. Yet so many women are doing just that – and they don’t even realize it!
Recognizing When Your Past is Holding You Back
Have you heard of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study? This powerful research brought to light just how much trauma from childhood can impact health – both physical and psychological – in adulthood. It’s important because it gives medical professionals information that allows them to consider the best treatments for their patients rather than simply falling back on prescriptions, or – even worse – simply attributing poor health to getting older.
The beautiful thing about recognizing that what happened long ago is still affecting you today is that you can choose to change the way you are moving through the world. But if you don’t know what’s at the root of your behavior, it’s nearly impossible to change. It’s essential to dive deep into your history to uncover negative thoughts that might be holding you back.
Think of it this way: If you lived in a household where the most important thing was to keep an alcoholic parent happy so they wouldn’t fly into a rage, you may have learned that placating others was more important than what you wanted or needed. You developed an internal dialogue that said “Please others at all costs”.
You may have moved out of that house decades ago, but that internal belief is still there: If I make anyone unhappy, I’ll pay the price. So you bend over backwards, staying in relationships that don’t meet your needs, holding on to an unsatisfying job, or saying yes to every volunteer position you’re asked to take, until you’re so exhausted you can’t see straight.
That’s just one example, but I hope you understand what I’m talking about. The beliefs you hold can keep you stuck. And make you sick. That might sound hopeless, but recognizing the power your beliefs have is actually the most hopeful thing you can do for your future. Because once you know better, you can do things differently.
You Have the Power to Change Your Life
Recently, I attended a seminar with David Bayer. If you don’t know who he is, I encourage you to Google him and watch some of his videos online. His message is so pertinent and powerful, and it’s one we all need to hear.
The 2-day event I attended was called The Powerful Living Experience and it’s designed to help people break free of whatever identity, stories or beliefs that they have created for themselves that ultimately hold them back from the life they want. I gained so many incredible insights in those two days to share them all here, but I wanted to tell you this essential truth: Only YOU can move yourself forward.
One of the most amazing speakers I’ve ever seen, Sean Stephenson (Google him, too), reminded me that we can do anything we set our minds to. Plenty of excuses will surface, but we don’t have to listen to them! His story is incredible, but the most powerful thing he said is that no matter what circumstances you find yourself in, feeling sorry for yourself isn’t an option if you want to succeed. Beating yourself up and bullying yourself with negative thoughts and beliefs will only keep you trapped.
This really hit home for me, because the last few years have been some of the hardest of my life. My career was thriving, but I hit a major bump when I put my trust in the wrong person. I landed in the middle of a lawsuit, and I had to basically start from scratch.
Gone were years of hard work and effort to build my audience. I could have let it stop me – there were times I almost did – but I knew I wasn’t finished in my quest to help other women, to give them hope and empower them to look and feel their best. I have so much important information to share!
Paying Attention to the Signs
Slowly, I’ve built a new team, downsized my practice to allow me the space to do other things, and created a new website that I’m incredibly proud of. But it hasn’t been an easy journey, and sometimes it seems like I’m trying to do too much.
I was contemplating this throughout the seminar – do I keep pushing forward to build my website and online practice, or do I let it go and focus on my local clients? Is it time to slow down a little and narrow my focus, or should I push forward and try to spread my message as far as I can to as many women as possible?
The answers didn’t come quickly or easily. I knew that what I was hearing was absolutely true — I could create whatever I wanted to create with the right mindset. What I didn’t know was if going really big was the right direction for me. As I sat listening, I grappled with big questions. What was working for me? What needed to change? Did what I was trying to do really make a difference?
I was still wrestling with these questions as I headed home from the experience. And it was in one of those moments that I realized I had left my personal workbook – with all the notes and work I’d done at the seminar – in my hotel room! I was beyond shocked at this revelation; I was stupidly furious and just incredibly disappointed in myself! How could I have let this happen? I knew it was a long shot, but I called to see if by chance someone had found it and saved it for me. Indeed, as if by the powers that be, the room had not been cleaned, and a housekeeper had found my notebook.
It was great to know that my work was not lost — but what happened next was even more amazing. The woman on the phone asked me “Are you Marcelle Pick, the author?” I said yes, and she said “I read your book, The Core Balance Diet. It forever changed my life.”
Moving Forward with Positive Intention
Hearing those words was the deciding factor for me. I’ll go as big as I can, because this message is too important to keep to myself.
Women need to hear that they don’t have to stay stuck wherever they happen to be right now. They need to hear that the past doesn’t have to determine the future. They need to know that their health – both physical and emotional – is within their control.
It isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s quite painful to examine your thoughts and recognize what you’ve been doing to yourself. But I promise you it’s worth it. You can succeed, if you choose to succeed — whatever success means to you.
Change is possible when you choose a life of beauty over a life of suffering. I know this is true, because I’ve done it myself. And I’m here to help you every step of the way. It’s time to take the leap, and take control of your own life. I promise you it’s worth it!
