​A big part of life is recognizing when it's time to let go of certain things so we can let in something new, more fulfilling to take its place.

A journaling prompt I love (particularly when I feel weighed down) is "What do I want to let go of?" or "What is weighing me down?"

Think about the things, beliefs, opinions, feelings, memories, regrets, experiences, people, habits, etc. that feel heavy, burdensome, and unnecessary.

Let yourself write until nothing else comes to mind.
Notice how you feel after putting those burdens down.

Let yourself be in this lighter state, and from that place ask yourself, "What do I want to let in?" or "What do I want more of?"

Let all the things, beliefs, opinions, feelings, memories, regrets, experiences, people, habits, you would love to let in come to you. You don't need to force answers, rather let them arise from this unburdened state you're in.

​Notice how it feels to let in all that goodness. 

It doesn’t matter if what you believe about yourself is true. When you notice a familiar story or belief coming up, ask yourself:

1. Is this story/belief useful?

2. Is it getting me closer or further away from what I truly want for myself?

3. How do I feel when I believe this story?

​We often follow rules for life that don’t belong to us. They have been passed onto us at an early age, but these are not our rules.
 
We didn’t create them from our desires, curiosities and wants. We simply had to adapt to and follow them in order to fit in and survive.
 
When we live by someone else’s rules, we keep ourself in situations that drain us, we pressure ourselves to work for something that’s doesn’t give us fulfillment, and we force ourselves to want something that doesn’t make us happy.
 
We have the responsibility to examine the parts of our lives in which we blindly follow rules that don’t support our self-determination and freedom.
 
Now we get to decide what rules no longer apply to who we are today. We get to create our own blueprint based on our real curiosities and desires.
 
Here are some questions that will help you identify old rules you might be living by. These are  great for reflection and journaling: 

• What am I doing because I think I should, not because I want?
• What am I forcing myself to like/want, but I genuinely don’t like/want?
• In what aspect of my life do I feel most limited? 
• If I believed I could, what’s one thing I would stop doing today?
• If I believed I could, what’s one thing I would stop doing today?

 
If you feel stuck in a never ending loop of self-analysis and trying to move forward, it’s a good time to bring in a fresh perspective.
 
Therapy is a great place to be challenged to face what’s not working and to be encouraged to discover what does.