Tag Archives: denial

Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scale

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“Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scale.”

—Paul Sweeney, Member of the Scottish Parliament

Image from Unsplash by i yunmai

How often do you find yourself operating as your own PR firm, with your inner voice painting a rosy picture?

How often do you try to fool yourself by denying the realities about you and around you?

Many people do this with their personal appearance. In our youth-worshiping world, we often compare and contrast ourselves to those genetically lucky folks with perfect figures and six-pack abs.

Our propensity to judge others and ourselves can be a constant source of dissatisfaction and denial.

Looking back at the starlight from earlier times only makes us miss the current moments we’re fortunate enough to experience.

EXERCISE:

In what ways are you deluding yourself from seeing the realities of your life?

How would a more honest and objective view of things lighten your load and improve your overall attitude?

“At some point the virtue of being persistent turns into the vice of denying reality.”

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“At some point the virtue of being persistent turns into the vice of denying reality.”

—Chip Heath, Decisive

Image from Unsplash by Rosie Kerr

We have all been told that winners never quit and quitters never win.

To what degree do you actually live by these words in your personal and professional worlds?

I have embraced these words and think I must have an internal tattoo reminding me to never give up, and that persistence always pays.

How many books or stories have you read or heard throughout your life in which the underdog and hero within courageously stayed the course and triumphantly achieved their dreams?

Alternatively, how many stories have you heard in which this message has been swept under the carpet and hidden from view because of bad PR?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways has your world changed?

What closed doors – some possibly locked forever – are you still trying to open with the key of persistence?

Where might you be denying a hard reality? Where might taking a new path be a virtue in which persistence would pay off once again?

Consider reading Seth Godin’s book, The Dip, to further explore when to quit and when to stick with some of your most important current and future decisions.

More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them

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“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.”

—Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.

Image from DailyCaring

Having a bias for being right and making others wrong seems to be one of the fundamental challenges facing the majority of people throughout history. Although most of us prefer to consider ourselves self-aware and open-minded, we often fall into the trap of seeing the mistakes of others far more often than viewing our own shortcomings.

Instead of closing our eyes to our own responsibilities for certain failures, what if we could shift our perspective from one of embarrassment and shame to one of learning and growth? How would this support the courage it takes to be vulnerable in those moments we fall short in our efforts?

EXERCISE:

Where and on what life issue are you, or perhaps someone you know, in denial about a significant mistake? What would be the benefit if you or they would more frequently embrace the life changing magic and important lessons in such situations?