Written by: Jamie Michelle, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Let’s face it. There’s a lot of negative chatter in every one of our minds right now. Many of us have been overwhelmed with anxiety and stress since word of COVID-19 first broke out in February (or was it January? I can’t keep up). But let me ask you something. Was the onset of this pandemic really where all that anxiety started for you? Or is this maybe just the most recent thing you’ve tagged on to a never-ending list of worries that’s been tattooed on your brain for as long as you can remember? Whether we’re aware of it or not, our minds always find something to be anxious about. It’s just the way the human brain is wired – it’s wired for survival.
The subconscious part of our brain is constantly on the lookout for threats, and anything that it doesn’t recognize, anything that is unfamiliar, is identified as a threat to our survival. When there’s anything new and unfamiliar in your life, your brain automatically tells your body that you’re in danger and you’re going to die. This is how anxiety is created in the human body. Your life isn’t really in danger (at least not most of the time), but it feels like it is. If you’ve ever had an anxiety or panic attack, you know very well that it actually does feel like you’re dying.
We’ve become so accustomed to feeling anxious, stressed out, and overwhelmed that we don’t know anything different. If there’s not something legitimate to worry about, our minds will undoubtedly create something to worry about, even if it’s as insignificant as spilling a drop of coffee on your shirt. (We’ve all been there.) When anxiety is your primary emotion, it takes control over your entire life. This is what’s happened in America. Our society has normalized feeling anxious so much that it’s now accepted as the standard. Anytime we don’t feel it, we immediately think something’s gone terribly wrong, which creates more anxiety and stress. Do you see how it’s a vicious cycle?
The human brain is a fascinatingly complex machine. I’m not here to explain how complex it is, but I am here to help you live a better life so you can feel less anxiety and fear, and more peace, happiness, and freedom. Yes, EVEN in times of a global crisis, and even in times of mandated self-isolation. Actually, if there’s one thing you could do that would help bring all of this to an end sooner, it would be to choose to feel more happiness, peace, and love. Notice I said choose to feel, because it actually is a choice. You decide how you’re going to feel each moment. We don’t think we have a choice, but in reality, every single moment is a new opportunity for us to choose differently.
Our lives are the culmination of every single decision we’ve ever made. We think that it’s only the “big” decisions that impact our life, like where we go to school, who we marry, where we work, where we decide to live, etc. But those big decisions wouldn’t have been possible without every single teeny tiny choice we made in the simple moments. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. For example, you chose to read this article, and each second that passes you’re choosing whether or not you’ll continue reading it or move on to something else. You’re also deciding whether or not you agree with what you’re reading, or if you’re willing to learn more about the concepts presented on this page. When you’re done reading this article, you’ll make another choice, and then another, and then another… proving that our lives really are the culmination of every single choice we make.
If you want a better life for yourself, all you have to do is choose it! But first, there’s one very important thing that you must decide. You need to decide whether or not you believe you deserve a better life. I’m about to drop a bomb on you that may be hard to accept at first, but please just hear me out. You are responsible for everything in your life. Every experience you’ve ever had, including your current situation & what’s around you… it’s all been created by you through your thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and beliefs about yourself, about other people, about life, and about how the world works.
"You decide what you’re going to accept in your life And what you absolutely will not tolerate."
This is why I said earlier that the best thing you could ever do to help end this sooner is to choose to feel more happiness, peace, and love. The happiness, peace, love, and freedom, that you seek can only be found inside of you. Everything that you want… you already have. It’s inside of you right now in this very instant. It just needs to be acknowledged and chosen by you. Only you can do this for yourself, but to do so requires the belief that you are worthy of it. Even the slightest bit of self-doubt will lead to self-sabotage.
Transforming your life starts with transforming your mind. You get to choose what things mean to you. You get to decide whether something is good, bad, or no big deal. You get to choose how you feel about everything, including yourself. You decide what you’re going to accept in your life and what you absolutely will not tolerate. You, you, you!!!! No one else has this power in your life except for YOU! Your best life begins with your willingness to change your mind and to choose to see the opportunities and the positives in everything.
It doesn’t mean you deny the negatives, it just means that you are someone who really turns lemons into lemonade. You really don’t have to feel stressed out all the time – that’s just a big lie everyone’s been conditioned to believe. The moment you realize that your mental and emotional states are entirely up to you, you reclaim your power, which enables you to change the trajectory of your life. Even just choosing to see the positives in one situation can be life-altering.
I’m not saying that you won’t ever face challenges again, but I am promising that you will be able to see the opportunities for your growth and success within those challenges instead of just seeing them as blocks and limits. Your superpower is in what you believe. Your beliefs shape your reality. If you don’t like your current reality, you’ve got to look at what you’re telling yourself. Create a new reality by identifying self-destructive or limiting beliefs that you have (trust me, there are a lot), and replacing them with limitless ones that will support you in your efforts of achieving your goals and making your dreams into a reality.
I’m going to be really honest with you. This is a lot easier said than done. Changing beliefs (which are thoughts that live in the mind) challenges your subconscious survival brain – your ego, and the ego doesn’t go down without a fight. When faced with the ego’s opposition, a lot of people decide that letting go of their old limiting beliefs is too hard and give up. What they don’t realize is, had they just kept going for a little bit longer, they would have had the massive breakthrough they were working toward.
"No one masters it right away, but no one ever regrets doing it."
The darkest hour always comes right before the dawn. But it’s that all-too-familiar feeling of anxiety that comes in, overwhelms them, and takes them down. Remember, what the survival brain and the ego don’t know is immediately perceived as a threat. New beliefs are unfamiliar – they’re unknown – so the ego responds by initiating the stress response of anxiety and overwhelm to override your decision to transform… if you let it. It is a choice.
To truly have sustainable transformation, bringing your awareness into the present is essential. This awareness is what permits you to notice and observe your thoughts and feelings, so when you feel the initial pang of anxiety, you can separate yourself from it. You’re able to identify what set off that response in your body. From this place, you approach your anxiety with curiosity, acceptance, and compassion, instead of the old default response of immediately identifying with it, fighting against it, and then shutting down altogether. This process takes a lot of commitment, patience, and discipline. No one masters it right away, but no one ever regrets doing it. The payoff of total freedom and peace is far greater than the temporary discomfort that comes with defeating your own ego.
It’s important to understand that you are not your thoughts or your emotions. We can’t control what happens in the world, but we can control how we perceive what happens (or doesn’t happen). You are in control of you. Now that you know this, you’re presented with a choice. You can choose to see the many amazing opportunities that exist in this global turmoil, or you can decide this article is a bunch of bull and go back to living in a constant state of fear. Do yourself a favor and look at everything that’s on your never-ending list of worries branded on your brain. Is everything on there actually a legitimate threat to your survival? If they aren’t, may I lovingly suggest you remove them immediately, and let it all go indefinitely? Just doing that will make you feel about a million pounds lighter.
Look, just because everyone else is in a massive state of fear and panic doesn’t mean that you should be experiencing extreme levels of panic. Get in touch with your beliefs. Rewrite the narrative. Be honest with yourself! What if this wasn’t so bad after all? What if this was actually your chance at completely recreating your life? What if, in this whole mess of COVID-19, was your key to everything you’ve ever wanted and hoped for? What if this pandemic is the launching pad of your limitless success?
The only way to find out is to start looking for that key. What do you really want, and do you believe that you can have it? Nothing means anything except for the meaning that you give it. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future by looking at what’s happening right now from a new perspective. It’s entirely up to you. It is my sincere hope that from this moment on, you choose you. If something isn’t adding value to your life, it doesn’t deserve to be there. Now is your chance to take inventory of everything you’re giving your precious energy and attention to and take it away from the things that don’t give you any value in return. Your energy is your power. Protect it.
Whether or not you choose to believe it, you are worthy of happiness, love, peace, joy, and freedom. It’s your birthright as a human to love and enjoy your life. That is Truth. That is who you are. Choose to accept this Truth and run with it. Every single second is a brand-new chance to change your mind. Open your eyes to what’s real. If you do choose to believe the Truth, you will be absolutely unstoppable. My purpose in this life is to help every human on Earth realize their innate worth and unlock their infinite power so they can live the life of their dreams. I’m telling you now that your dreams are yours for the taking… as long as you choose to believe that it’s really possible for you.
So now you’re left with one more decision…
…will you?
Jamie Michelle, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jamie Michelle is an award-winning Master Mindset Coach and Energy Expert that specializes in energy and performance for professional athletes. The coaching methods she employs are unconventional, yet extremely effective. Using a combination of spiritual work, energy healing, and her unmatched, award-winning mindset coaching, Jamie helps her clients become Intentional Champions so they can continually improve their athleticism and all areas of their lives. When she’s not working with private clients, Jamie's passionate about sharing her message with the world, and it is unquestionably one to pay attention to. Her obvious dedication to teaching others how to live happy, healthy, and abundant lives has led to her international recognition as a top leader in the coaching industry. Jamie Michelle is one of very few transformational coaches who visibly lives what she teaches and is quickly proving herself to be one of our generation’s greatest Spiritual Teachers.
