Knowledge is a gift; it is how we grow and advance as a society. We learn from others, their insights and life lessons.

Today, like never before, we are bombarded with opportunities to learn: books, blogs, articles, movies, documentaries, websites, free webinars, talks, free downloads, YouTube, algorithms that take you to links to learn more and the list goes on…the truth is there is so much to learn and consume that we will NEVER get in front of it before we create our own unique contribution.

This can keep you stuck, let’s call this The Knowledge Trap.

Leaning in to love

We are all guilty of going through certain aspects of our lives on autopilot, repeating the same thinking cycles and behaviours. If we want to move forward in an area of our life we need to shine a light on it and look at our thoughts and how they might be holding us back.

Let’s play a little thought experiment of mine. Let us simply imagine that our actions and behaviours come from one of two states: love or fear.

Now think about your life in four categories:

1. Friendships

2. Intimate relationships

3. Career

4. The outside world

Firstly, think about friendship. What recent memories comes up?

Think of recent scenarios and ask yourself – were your words and actions emanating from a place of love or fear?

Then think about a recent scenario in your private life and ask yourself the same question – was I being driven by love or fear?

Do the same with your career.

Now, do the same with your recent feelings about the state of the world.

Reflect.

What came up for you?

Where have you spent most of your time recently - functioning from a state of love or fear?

If fear is in the driving seat it can really hold you back from what you want to achieve in life.

The state of fear can:

• keep us playing small

• keep us procrastinating

• Stop us from evolving and growing

• Limit our potential

• Feel hopeless

If any fear has come up for you, bring this into your awareness. Notice the story or stories that this fear is attached to.

The first thing we do is notice. Self-awareness is the starting place for positive change.

The tool we can use when we feel we are functioning from a fear state is to mentally move into a love state.

A little bit of history was made in our family this week. On Saturday my thirteen-year-old daughter had her Jewish coming of age ceremony called a Bat Mitzvah. Traditionally a girl’s coming of age is a much smaller affair than the boys Bar Mitzvah. For the first time in the Almeleh family my girl did the full male equivalent! She led the service with our Rabbi; she sang, she read and shared her thoughts on her readings in front of the congregation just as her forefathers did before her.

Bella was nervous before the ceremony and was up super early after a restless night’s sleep. She asked me in a light hearted manner - why do I have to go through this?

There is something you might like to know about me, I have spent the last 35+ years of my life being a people pleaser.  

I became an expert chameleon, learning to be everything to everyone, I spent my life operating from the ‘outside in’, my way of surviving and thriving and securing love.