Believing In You by Rick Paul

My wife is an excellent source of information and inspiration, and I value her input into my spiritual considerations at the highest level. Mrs P doesn’t like or seek the attention that some people do. She considers things carefully and will often offer nuggets of wisdom at the time when they are needed. They are delivered in a forthright and honest manner. She has recently said a few things that have struck a chord. Number one was valuing yourself and your time at the highest level, and one or two issues over the years that have been a battle for me may not need any more tinkering with. They are because they are. It got me thinking about self-worth and perspective. If you don’t value yourself, who will?. Despite one’s best efforts, at times, some things aren’t resolvable, so a stage of acceptance is needed and once completed, this can lead to closure and progress can be made.

I often talk about mind management because, personally, things I have over analysed over the years have resulted from considering what others may think about me. It is like writing a play involving others, but you play all the roles and produce and direct it. This means there is no room for others’ input as this is all being constructed in your mind. If we accept this as the case, we can effectively change the outcome of our thought processes if we realise that other people haven’t even noticed what is happening with us as they are too busy with their stuff. I always find a way to challenge the monkey chatter in my mind when it throws up these scenarios. I ask for evidence, and usually, there isn’t any. If there is, I can structure a response to change the outcomes.

In the past, I have had my battles with lack of confidence and wars with low mood and mood swings. I have learned to recognise triggers and also found closure by accepting that this isn’t all negative as it is part of me and my eclectic personality. My moods help at times with my creativity. What was once seen as a defence mechanism or mask to hide behind. It is now recognised as part of me that I want to embrace. It is, in essence, my product of me, who I am and what I present to the outside world. I am naturally a stubborn person with a lot of willpower, and in my mind, this makes it hard for me to be defeated. That determined streak always gets up, shows up and sometimes shouts ~ get up. This allows me to move forward and get on with things. When I talk, advise, or guide, it is always from a personal standpoint. In my mind, there is no mental battle you can’t overcome if you believe in your power and your product.

As I mentioned earlier, your product is quite simply who you are, what makes you you and how you appear as you present yourself to others. I always look for examples to illustrate my points, so I would like you to imagine you are going for a job interview. For most people, this would involve researching the job you are going for and preparing yourself mentally for any questions that might head your way. Ultimately you have a short window of opportunity to present your best qualities to a potential employer who will then decide if you are a right fit for the position based on your presentation and how you sell yourself. You are the product that you are selling. Speak passionately and highlight your better qualities. You are then more than likely to impress the judges. Consider the flip side, mumble, look around absentmindedly, and don’t demonstrate or don’t show any personal pride. You can make a decision easy for the employer to make, thanks but no thanks.

Life isn’t easy, so a good first impression is essential as it is how you will be remembered. Something to consider is there is no such thing as perfection. You do the best you can with the information and skill set you have at any one time. No matter how much people advise, guide or mentor, it is your responsibility to decide how you interpret this information. I repeat, your progress is down to you. Only you can make that decision when your circumstances have reached a point where they are no longer tolerable. If what we are doing is no longer working, then we need to change what we are doing. When you construct a reason/excuse for not doing something, the subconscious mind accepts this as fact, and you don’t progress and have made this so.

When you present yourself to others, you invite many different energies to interact with you. Start to notice what is the norm, what you attract towards you. Realise some people will value you and others won’t. How you react to stimuli will aid or hinder you as you negotiate life’s pathways. People like people who are like themselves. As you send out your thoughts and energies, the universe reflects. Do not accept lower valuations of the self. Another consideration for me as I observe people is when some put themselves up as a guide or mentor/coach and then adopt a do as I say, not as I do approach. People will soon lose faith if you embrace that mentality. Be you and be proud to be so.

Commitment to oneself is another significant consideration. Committing wholly to yourself time and energy-wise is a lot of work. Know that you are capable of doing this. Realise also that meaningful change takes time and dedication. Very rarely are there overnight successes. Trust in yourself. How you act and present yourself to others will need regular evaluation and maintenance. Check-in on yourself and evaluate your progress based on the evidence presented to you. Always believe in your power because if you don’t, how can you expect anybody else to have that faith in you? How can you expect the universe to respond positively if you accept failure or frequently use the word trying (expecting a shortcoming) as the norm?

Like the rest of the world, I am experiencing the impact of rising prices. The further I travel, the more I notice that more people want me to travel to their area as the work I do has a positive impact on people. This is what I love doing, but with everything, this costs time and money, and as a business, you cannot survive on good wishes and kind comments alone. Recently I have raised some of my prices to accommodate the extra distance travelled. It has not been an easy decision. My biggest lesson from this has been to value yourself do not try and decide what a client can and cannot afford, as recently, my interpretation and perspective of this have been way off the mark. Clients will vote with their feet anyway. Price isn’t always a consideration. My guidance is to go towards the product or person that suits your personal needs. I will always consider others’ positions which is why I offer different reading options, but it will no longer be the deciding factor. When you realise that people don’t pay you for your skill, they pay you for your time, and time cannot be bought. So, it would be best if you reached a moment of realisation. If you can get what you need at a fraction of the cost, then go there, cheaper doesn’t always equate to better. From the bottom of my heart, what I want is for people to be able to negotiate their pathways in life and be happy. If I can be that conduit for change, then I am grateful. If I can’t, then there will be others that can.

In closing, I am very grateful for all the support, kind comments and recognition of my work. I will always remain humble but will no longer justify myself to anybody, this is my life, my product of mine, and I sincerely believe it is my life’s purpose of helping guide others. My thoughts are my thoughts, and I always desire to inspire. I leave you with my tagline “I am what I am, I do what I do, I am just me”.

Bright blessings ~ The Waistcoat Man.