Are “Crazy Thoughts” Distracting You?

When I work with my one-on-one clients, it’s usually for six to eight months at time. Somewhere around month three, it’s a common experience for them to report that they are having “crazy thoughts.” They start daydreaming of leaving their jobs, traveling to a far-off land, or taking action on a lifelong dream. They find themselves thinking about things they’ve never thought of before and it scares them.Actually, it scares one specific part of them: their Ego. The Ego relies on the status quo and gets completely freaked out at the thought of anything new or bold. Simultaneously, another specific part of them, their Soul, gets energized, hopeful, and inspired. This creates a conundrum and they immediately want to know which side they should listen to. My answer? “Both!”When the “crazy thoughts” start, I actually get excited for my clients because it means they’ve cleared enough of their Ego’s fears that they can finally hear the voice of their Soul. That, in and of itself, is a victory.  Still, feeling the “conflict” between these two aspects can be disconcerting. We live in a world of polarities and habitually want to choose one side or the other.When my clients tell me about their crazy thoughts, I almost immediate ask them what their Ego has to say about the thoughts themselves. Our Ego is trying to protect us and we need to listen to what it has to say. Believe it or not, it does offer wisdom and needs to be heard. So when self-help gurus tell you to not listen to your fears, that’s misguided. You need to listen, understand where the fear is coming from, and then address it. Your Ego’s fears cannot be suppressed for long. It’s about as effective as trying to hold a beach ball underwater.When you make any major move in your life, the best plan is to bring your Ego along so it does not derail your progress. Instead, invite it to join you from the beginning. It will create a lot more efficiency in your process and maybe even a little less “craziness.”Experiment:The next time you have “crazy thoughts,” try to capture them somewhere: in a journal or maybe in an email to yourself. Get them written down as they come to you or your Ego will push them out as fast as possible and you’ll forget them. Once they’re written down, invite the voice of your Ego to say whatever it wants about the crazy ideas themselves. Capture as much as you can about why it is afraid. Then, when you feel ready, go back through the list and objectively, respectfully address your Ego’s concerns. And remember: just as it doesn’t work to tell a fearful child to “get over it,” your Ego is no different. It may quiet things down – temporarily – but the fear is still there. Ultimately, with patience and practice, you will be able to talk your Ego through each fear and glean its wisdom, as well. That doesn’t sound crazy at all, does it?On Friday, March 1, I will be speaking about how to let your Soul lead at Femmenation’s Total Networking Event for Women. If you’d like a day of personal and professional development like no other, and opportunity to learn more about your Ego’s tactics, register at www.femmenation.com  Also, use the promotion code “VIP” to save $20.  Hope to see you there!