Hey, it’s been a minute. The past few weeks have been quite intense.

Either way, today will be an overview of the 1st chapter of Jen Sincero’s ” You are a badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life “. I usually do a holistic review of a book once I’ve finished reading it, however, I have a feeling that there are a lot of vital lessons to be learned in this book and I just want to take the time to make sure I understand the concepts rather than just blaze through the book and leave it to collect dust on my shelf and in my mind.

Removing the the dead skunk in your subconscious

Chapter 1 deals with our subconscious and how no matter how much we try to control our actions with our conscious thoughts, ultimately it’s our subconscious that takes the lead and directs us in life.

What I learned is that our subconscious thoughts aren’t really our own. Up until the point when you are more aware, they are actually shaped by the people and experiences we have within our sphere of influence especially by our parents/guardians.

From the moment we are born we are programmed with belief systems that we adopt as our own without much push back or thought. Other people’s views become our own as well as their expectations. These beliefs can be productive for example if they instill productive values that are expected by society but can also be destructive such as negative thoughts of oneself and society.

In the book, the term “removing the dead skunk” refers to combing through the underlying destructive and limiting thoughts we have which like a dead skunk under a couch have seeped its nasty stench within the very fibers of our being and subsequently shaped our experiences.

Who you gonna call? Skunkbusters!

So how does one begin the process of changing your subconscious beliefs?

Well, apparently you first have to take responsibility. Even though having some of these thoughts were not from our own actions but that of others who may have said or done something that to them seemed unimportant but may have led to your deprecating thoughts of yourself, it’s still our responsibility to change that narrative.

As Jen says “It’s not your fault that you’re f**ked up. It’s your fault if you stay f**ked up” .

Next is to sit down and write a list of all the limiting and destructive thoughts you have not only of yourself but any other limiting thoughts you may have of life and after that writing where you think those thoughts originated from when thinking back to your past. I did this and it really put a lot of things into perspective with regards to why I act in certain ways. I had a couple of light bulb moments as to why I would consciously not want to do or express myself in a certain way but somehow sometimes ended up in the same old patterns.

By slowly identifying the underlying beliefs you have, you can begin to work on them, whether that’s by making them better or completely eliminating them.

It’s been a great read thus far and I look forward to diving into the next chapter today.

If ever you’re bored, open up your journal and freely write down all the limiting thoughts that come to mind and then comb through your memory to try and pinpoint some of the experiences that may have contributed to them.

Till next time.

Never forget to carpe all the diems.

Love,

Selma