How To Reach Your Potential
You know when someone CLEARLY wants help, but then when you offer it to them they’re all insulted and retort I can handle it on my own- I don’t need you.
From the outside, you’re like, “Dude chill, I was just trying to help, but clearly you got this (they don’t). I’ll back off.” And then you back off and let that person handle it.
I envision this happening in a kitchen with four pots/pans on the burners: one boiling over, one on fire, one that forgot to get turned on- it’s the main dish btw (so like, kind of important) - and one burner that just keeps clicking because it’s trying to light. All the pots and pans are trying their best given the conditions they are in, but then Oh my Lord, did you also forget that the oven is on too? … It’s smoking… Chaos.
But yeah, totally, your friend’s got this.
You want to help, but they just keep resisting it. You ask again. “Hey, you sure I can’t do anything? I can at least clean the dishes in the sink for you.”
“No.”
Mmmkkayy… *Shifty eyes.
You think that ^^ hot mess express ^^ is happening at the French Laundry? I think not.
Think of yourself as the executive chef of your life- you are responsible for the recipes that leave your kitchen. Translation, what you put out (your thoughts) are going to determine your success. If your internal kitchen is chaotic, you are most likely experiencing that externally with a lot of stress and conflict in your life. It could feel like life is happening to you, or it’s you against the world - keeping your dukes up. Exhausting.
There’s a better way, you just need to get organized.
In the best run kitchens in the world there is a flow, with multiple sous chefs assigned a station. Think of these sous chefs as the influences on your energy levels. The six different influencers that are going to impact your ability to create and serve a Michelin Star worthy meal are: spiritual, social, mental, physical, emotional, and environmental.
Spiritual - think your core values and connection to something larger than yourself.
Social - this the company/people you are surrounded by. Are there energy vampires around you that suck you of all high vibes always complaining? Or are you surrounded by people who see opportunity and fun? Choose wisely.
Mental - this is your brainpower/ ability to focus on a task and how you process your thoughts NOT what you’re thinking.
Physical - this relates to what is happening in your body. Are you feeling well rested, sick, in chronic pain, do you need to pee - those are physical influencers. Have you ever tried to concentrate when you need to pee? Good luck!
Emotional - these are messages about what your experiencing. Emotions are not good or bad, they just are. It’s how they are expressed that can have major impacts.
Environmental - this is the setting in which an activity takes place. Think of the difference between a beautiful sunny day under a tree with a slight breeze compared to a dark Abercrombie & Fitch store with screaming tweens- which one would you prefer to be in when you’re trying to read a book?
These influences impact the frequency of your thoughts. Since your thoughts are energy, if you want to get out of exhaustion mode (heavy dense frequencies), then you need to focus on increasing the frequency of your thoughts. You do this by bringing attention to the influences that are impacting your thoughts.
How?
Start with a judgement journal. I know you’re like, “Kaleigh, the journal thing… AGAIN?” and I’m all, “Yes, the journal thing again.”
For three days take inventory of judgements you make and then determine which influence is having the most impact.
Do you constantly hear yourself saying, It’s fine I don’t care, when in fact you do care, and VERY much. This is most likely a spiritual influencer revealing to you disconnection or two contrasting core values.
Or do you notice that when you’re around a certain person or group, you can't stop laughing? It’s effortless. That’s a social influence.
It’s only once you are aware of something that you have the CHOICE to continue to invest in it or change it.
It’s time to take charge of your kitchen and be the executive chef of your life. You cannot control the influences but you can control your response to them and that’s the internal work you are here to do.
Yes, you can do this- I believe in you.
From one Tough Cookie to another,
Kaleigh