Out of Your Own Way

Written By: Mary Abranyi - Cashiers Valley Fusion | Issue: 2018/04 - April

Have you ever thought about where you are in life now compared to where you’ve been before and where you hope to be in the future? 

Surely, we all have at some point or another.  This reflection of our life’s timeline and the successes and failures of past, present and future can be a healthy exercise for personal growth, but it can also become a way of falling into the pattern of over-thinking.  

Whether it’s life in general or very specific situations, over-thinking is a habitual behavior that can cause strain and sometimes failure to relationships, stress, anxiety, depression, anger, an overall negative mindset, and a false sense of reality.  This can lead to mental and emotional roadblocks that keep us from having happy relationships, plus limit us from being the person we have the potential to be, both personally and professionally.  

For example, take the way we interact with others.  I think it’s safe to say we all would prefer having contact with other people that are pleasant and considerate, where each interaction is smooth and easy, but the reality is that it’s not always the case.  There will inevitably be someone who challenges you or a situation where you feel you were wronged in some way or perhaps you look back on a conversation and think about how you could have handled it differently, then the instant replay begins in your mind.  Unfortunately, this instant replay keeps going, and before long you’ve enhanced the severity of the situation.

So how do we break this habit of over-thinking?  One option is to create another habit or series of habits that help to provide balance and stability in our minds and emotions.  Positive habits can include practicing mindfulness in the present moment and gratitude for what you have, handling issues as they arise instead of playing it out in your head over and over, offering love in place of anger, paying closer attention to the company you keep, incorporating focused breathing and yoga into your life, and quieting the mind through meditation.  These are all incredibly effective tools for removing the self-limiting roadblocks you’ve placed on your path.  They are also wonderful ways to build discipline and confidence for an empowered life.

Don’t become your own worst enemy.  Let go of perfection, stop procrastinating and take the time to arm yourself with a systematic approach to happiness and success!

Mary Abranyi is a local Realtor with Landmark Realty Group and the owner of Cashiers Valley Fusion, where she teaches weekly yoga classes, workshops and retreats. She works closely with long-time friend and fellow yogi Ashby Garner of Yoga Highlands to bring a positive flow to the Plateau.