Reader,
do you ever feel doubtful when you're trying something new?
despite all the excitement and hope you have for the future…
there's always a part of you that questions if it'll actually happen.
it's like a little voice in your head whispering to you saying, 'this isn't gonna work.'
or, 'you're not good enough.'
or, here's a good one:
'do you really think you can do this? come on, be realistic.'
crap like that.
i only ask because i've been dealing with this a LOT recently, n wanted to make sure i wasn't crazy.
right now i'm focusing heavy on the youtube channel—my long-term project is to build a personal brand.
i realized i want to help as many people as i can through writing (this newsletter you're reading rn) and content creation.
and ever since i made that decision, i've noticed a lot of negative thoughts trying to creep in.
they've been popping up in my head at the most random times.
when i'm working, at the gym, even just chilling outside by the pool.
if i were to let them, they'd take over and i'd eventually quit.
but thankfully i've developed a sense of self-awareness that helps me deal with these thoughts.
and it's all based on my understanding of where they come from.
you see, there's a war going on.
it's not one our eyes can perceive.
it's spiritual.
ephesians 6:12 - 'for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms'.
these spiritual forces are battling for the hearts and minds of every living person on this earth.
it's the classic good vs. evil story.
(if you know the bible though, you know who wins in the end).
the enemy knows this too, but it'll never stop him from trying.
think about it this way:
you know how they say God is always listening?
when you pray to Him, when you talk about your goals, the things that you want to do with your life…
satan is listening too.
he's eavesdropping on all your conversations so he can gather as much information as possible on you.
he wants to use anything he can get to tear it all down.
and he does this by targeting the two most powerful components of our being:
our hearts and our minds.
because he knows this is where all our passions, desires, and dreams come from.
i was talking about this with the guys the other night at dinner, and i had an epiphany at the table.
i realized why i've been getting all these negative thoughts.
the voice in my head telling me i'm incapable of achieving greatness isn't actually me.
it's the enemy.
he's just planting seeds and waiting to see how i react to them.
plottin' and schemin'.
i imagine him as that close up video of a fly rubbing his little hands together, waiting for me to sit down so he can buzz over and poop on me.
the worst part though, is that it's so easy to perceive thoughts as truth right away.
it's even easier to dwell on them when you don't understand where they come from.
because it feels like it's you—but i promise it's not.
you're just being tested by the enemy, because he wants more than anything for you to quit.
to give up.
to be apart from God—with a life of no passion, no fulfillment, no joy.
the thought of you fulfilling your potential and using the gifts God gave you makes satan want to tweak out.
because he doesn't have influence on you in that state.
but when you're sitting in a pool of depression, anxiety, worry, and fear…
that's the perfect environment for him to thrive.
in a place of prosperity he can do nothing.
ever since i realized this, i've become much more aware of the thoughts that enter my mind.
i now detach myself from them because i know where they really come from.
if they aren't beneficial to me and the goals i'm working to achieve, i let them pass.
another huge part of this is realizing that you have control over what you give attention to.
you can't choose when or how a thought is formed, but you can more than certainly choose how you react to it.
i came up with this 3-step process to practice this, i call it the 'mental VIP checklist'
- step back: observe the thought as it enters your brain and the message it's trying to tell you.
- analyze: determine if it's worthy of taking up space there.
- release: if it is, keep it in. if not, kick it out.
think of your brain as a night club, and yourself as the bouncer.
thoughts are the people trying to get in; it's up to you to decide which ones get to stay, and which ones need to skedaddle.
your mind is the root of everything, protect it at all costs.
don't let any bums in.
keep movin forward,
gabe
ps. got some major plans for content and the future of my personal brand. dropped a video going over all that here.
