Newsletter
October, 2013- You've found your passion and now unleash it!
Greetings!
So, in the last newsletter we talked about finding your passion. Now in this one, we're going to talk about how to unleash it! In working with people, I find that the most difficult thing about passion after finding it, is unleashing it. People have a lot of hang ups about this. Fear of failure or a fear of success are the typical reasons that people don't reach their passion.
So, let's look at passion a little further and take your passion to the next level!
Dr. L
Reach your passion - Step by step...
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses! - One of the most frustrating things I hear when I'm treating patients or talking with someone I care about that's not doing what they say they want to do is hearing the excuses! They have an excuse for everything. They would do this, BUT this in in the way. BUT nothing! I don't want to hear that. It's like their way of getting out of reaching their dreams and then putting it on my shoulders. One of my patients tells me many times, "Well, that's your problem." Meaning that I have to find a way to make it happen for her. So, let's go through what I would tell her when she makes excuses for not achieving her potential...
How is your MOOD??
Your mood is a key to motivation and motivation is necessary to hurdle over life's obstacles. Your mood can be effected by many things and all of you know this by now having been my patient.
Biological, Psychological, and Social factors can all affect your mood. Now in assessment with me - we work on all of these factors. Medication is only one component. How is your nutrition? Are you drinking or using illicit drugs that can effect your motivation (Alcohol and Cannabis are MAJOR depressants).
Psychologically, is it a time of year that typically energizes you or do you hibernate for the winter? Have any major tragedies in your life happened around this time? Have you been suffering internal struggles lately?
Social factors involve friends and finances. Are there any major factors there we need to address?
Are you not supposed to be successful?
Many people have horrible instances in their lives where they have been beat down. It's a concept known as learned helplessness. I have bumped into people in my life that told me that I wasn't meant to achieve. That I should be happy with the success I have already had. Or the least motivating, "You didn't build that - somebody else made that happen."
The mentality these days in a lot of circles is that it's not OK for you to want for more. Success is almost shunned. If this is your mentality, or if someone that you go to for advice has this mentality - then you are not in an environment that fosters ambition, creativity, self sufficiency, etc.
My advice is GET OUT NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!! You have no idea how many times I have said this to patients. It's the first time some of my patients have ever been encouraged to REACH HIGHER!!! Think about those around you and if they encourage or discourage you to capture your dreams...
FEAR
In Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address, he said, "...let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." This is a fantastic quote and one that supercharged our nation in a time of hopeless paralysis.
Again, the learned helplessness phenomenon - people believing that it's better to sit and wait for what comes upon us rather than to stand up and fight. I can't see a more motivating cause to be called to action than on one's own behalf to better themselves.
When I think of this one of my beautiful and hard working patients pops into my mind. This patient came into me with fears of driving. Her fear was so great that she couldn't leave her home. She was trained to be that way by a mother that planted that fear into her when she asked to be taught to drive. Her mother gave her every reason not to teach her including that if she got into an accident and hurt her mother in the accident, and then the family would starve because her mother was the primary breadwinner.
Now, with her hard work and her desire - she's now driving further and further everyday. She's even driving on bridges! She's a true winner - overcoming obstacles to make her way toward her ultimate goal - one step at a time.
So, as you can see - there is a way to achieve your passion once you put away the excuses and start working. I can help to guide you, but there is a lot that you can do through introspection and hard work.
So, now let's put this passion into action!!
Until next time,
Dr. L
LA COOP, PA - General and Forensic Psychiatry
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