How To Stop Fooling Yourself

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you're the easiest person to fool. - Richard Feynman

Our minds are labyrinths of illusion and deception, and it is way too easy to fool ourselves sometimes. Perhaps you’ve had an experience where you were certain that something was the truth, and later discovered you were wrong.

When the real truth was exposed, you practically slapped yourself in the forehead because you couldn’t believe you missed it! We’ve all had experiences like that from time to time. That’s because perception is very individual, and our minds are designed to see only what we want to see. This can be helpful in certain circumstances, but incredibly damaging in others.

What are some of the ways you’ve fooled yourself in the past - or are you still fooling yourself now? Are you telling yourself that you’re working hard on your goals when in fact you are just spinning your wheels and trying to stay busy? Are you convinced that you don’t have as much chance for opportunity as others do?

Are you telling yourself that the obstacle you face is too big, too imposing to overcome? Are you promising yourself that someday soon you’ll begin taking action to get what you want? Are you waiting until your fear diminishes, your confidence grows, or someone in your life gives you the green light? No matter what you are telling yourself, be willing to question whether it’s really the “truth” or not. Just because it seems to be so, doesn’t mean it is.

One of the best practices you can adopt is the process of inner reflection and honesty. Learn how to see through your perceptions and discern which ones are serving you and which ones are holding you back. Learn how to get in touch with your intuition and use the signals it sends (like gut feelings, inner knowing, and warnings about bad choices) to guide your decision-making.

Stop fooling yourself into believing things that keep you from expressing your greatness, and start pushing yourself to believe things that add to your character and grow your potential.

Take off the rose-colored glasses and begin assessing yourself and your habits with brutal honesty. Only then will you understand the quickest way to release your potential, figure out the right path for you, and determine the right actions to get you there.

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