The Cage

Life is a weird sequence of events that lead us to the present day.

You experience hundreds of thousands of events that lead you to being you.

This isn't your own fault.

You're a product of your environment.

Family, Friends, School, where you grew up. These have culminated and designed who you are today.

It's not your fault. You're a victim by design. It's what "they" want you to be. A drone who goes about their day thinking this is it.

The cage is mental, it is where we place and keep ourselves.

We build this cage ourselves, without knowing we are doing it.
We set the tone, the weather, the coziness, and the trap.

Best part about the Cage? When we attempt to break out, we almost always retreat back in, locking the door again.

The Quandary of Escaping the Cage

The cage is fickle - it confines us yet would immediately let us out if we wished to do so.
So why don't we?

1) The Fear

Do you ever find yourself doubting everything you are trying or want to do?

It's the cage, you're afraid.

You ever look at other people, see them successful, wondering why it's not you?

It's the cage, you're afraid.

You're not alone.

2) The Coziness

We love our lives because it's who we are.

We stay in place because it's what we know.

We don't break out because it is uncomfortable.

The paradox is we know we are capable of more. Yet we choose to remain where we are.

You're not alone.

3) It keeps us small

The most important aspect of the cage is it keeps us SMALL. This cannot be emphasized enough.

The cage is a trap, it keeps us in our place. Keeps us from being free and accomplishing what we want.

The cage is a trap, built by ourselves, for ourselves. To keep us small.

You Build Your Own Cage

Your thoughts create your reality thus it creates the cage you build for yourself to live in.

As humans we are what we know to be true and our minds like to stay in this reality.

Any deferment or intermittent desire to leave this cage is fleeting. We will return to the cage willingly.

So how do we traverse this reality and sculpt into what we want it to be?

When we go about life doing the same things over and over we reinforce who we are. This strengthens the grasp the cage has on us.

The Keys to the Cage

We stay in our cage due to our emotional state and what we view as a "possibility". I'm quoting possibility because that is all it is. It is the What ifs that stop us, so what do we do?

We start from square one. Let's dive into the keys.

Key 1) Self Talk

I'll address this in multiple newsletters I'm sure. But self-talk is the number 1 spot for me. I've found it does absolute wonders when it comes to my mental state.

Affirmations? Really?

In a sense, yes. We are what we believe. When everything settles we are our own identity.

The only way we can change this about ourselves is to start with self talk.

• Write down who you want to be

• Read it to yourself over and over, feel it

I call this lying properly.

We tell ourselves every single day in almost everything we do. Usually to the detriment.

Our practice here is going to build those lies inside ourselves until they become our truth.

Because even though we initially lie to ourselves - we become what we say. So ours becomes our truth. Our words become flesh.

Key 2) Belief

After self talk comes the next step, belief.

Belief is the piece we all need to become who we are meant to be.

I've personally struggled with this piece extensively over the years. It has attributed to me staying on a never ending treadmill of the same.

This is why I KNOW that BELIEF is extraordinarily important.

This isn't the type of belief where you say something but inside you are going the complete opposite way.

It's the belief that what you say is your word. It is your bond, it is not who you are.

The self-talk helps to build this. The more you are repetitive in your intentions. The more you will believe.

Once you believe you will act without thinking, because it is you.

Key 3) Catching the Doubt (discipline)

Lastly, one of the hardest things to do.

Catching the doubt - aka realizing when you are slipping.

You will slip back into old patterns. We all do, we are human.

As I've stated, we like to be comfortable. When this is interrupted, our own selves try to self sabotage us back to the way we were.

You must be a master at realizing this. When you realize this, self correction is easy.

This is why writing down your intention and making sure you complete it is so important.

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