Comments on: Act From Yourself http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/ The Art Of Self Awareness Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:03:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Amanda Linehan http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 Amanda Linehan Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:51:14 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1171 Hi Jodi - Thanks a lot! I appreciate the compliments. I know what you mean when you say some people (like your friends in the example you used) don't have "that punch of enthusiasm." When you are not really acting from yourself, even when you are having success, it never quite seems to fulfill you. Even when you get something you really really wanted. It never fills you up! Hi Jodi – Thanks a lot! I appreciate the compliments. I know what you mean when you say some people (like your friends in the example you used) don’t have “that punch of enthusiasm.” When you are not really acting from yourself, even when you are having success, it never quite seems to fulfill you. Even when you get something you really really wanted. It never fills you up!

]]> By: Jodi at Joy Discovered http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1170 Jodi at Joy Discovered Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1170 Hi Amanda! I love your writing style. Your words come out so strong and with such a sunny clarity. The message in this post is an important one. Really important. Vitally important!! My husband and I have some close friends, another married couple, who have made a lot of decisions, professional and personal, based on an image of...perfection? importance? they were after, we're not quite sure. They are both such great people but talking to them, they just seem so confused, and their life seems to not have that punch of enthusiasm because they are not acting from themselves as you so eloquently write in this post. It's sad, but I know everyone has to figure this out for themselves. This is really a fantastic article. I really enjoy your writing and your post topics! .-= Jodi at Joy Discovered´s last blog ..<a href="http://joydiscovered.net/2009/10/06/opinions-gratitude-and-bridging-the-gap/" rel="nofollow">Opinions, Gratitude and Bridging the Gap</a> =-. Hi Amanda!
I love your writing style. Your words come out so strong and with such a sunny clarity. The message in this post is an important one. Really important. Vitally important!! My husband and I have some close friends, another married couple, who have made a lot of decisions, professional and personal, based on an image of…perfection? importance? they were after, we’re not quite sure. They are both such great people but talking to them, they just seem so confused, and their life seems to not have that punch of enthusiasm because they are not acting from themselves as you so eloquently write in this post. It’s sad, but I know everyone has to figure this out for themselves.

This is really a fantastic article. I really enjoy your writing and your post topics!
.-= Jodi at Joy Discovered´s last blog ..Opinions, Gratitude and Bridging the Gap =-.

]]> By: Amanda Linehan http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1168 Amanda Linehan Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:07:16 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1168 Hi Tess - Acting from yourself gives you a certain energy and strength that's hard to find when we're acting from other motivations. That's clear from reading your comment. Obstacles don't seem as big when our actions are our own! Hi Tess – Acting from yourself gives you a certain energy and strength that’s hard to find when we’re acting from other motivations. That’s clear from reading your comment. Obstacles don’t seem as big when our actions are our own!

]]> By: Tess The Bold Life http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1167 Tess The Bold Life Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:40:07 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1167 It's so true everything you say. I was 25 when I went to college while mothering my 4 daughters. I Wanted To Go. Not for anyone but me! It took me 9 and 1/2 years and I stuck to it because it was my dream. No one else really cared if I went or not. But I did. So I never gave up. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my degree. I just knew I wanted it. I majored in Spanish. When I graduated I knew I wanted to be a psychologist probably because I spent so much time in therapy I fell in love with the profession. I got my masters degree in 2 years and it's exactly what I did...a psychologist in private practice. It was an amazing thing to watch clients grow right before my very eyes. It was very rewarding and to this day I hear from old clients on Facebook, by email etc. To know I made a difference in so many lives tells me I was doing the right thing at the right time. No one could have stopped me if they tried! .-= Tess The Bold Life´s last blog ..<a href="http://theboldlife.com/2009/10/11-live/" rel="nofollow">11 Things I Can’t Live Without</a> =-. It’s so true everything you say. I was 25 when I went to college while mothering my 4 daughters. I Wanted To Go. Not for anyone but me! It took me 9 and 1/2 years and I stuck to it because it was my dream. No one else really cared if I went or not. But I did. So I never gave up. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my degree. I just knew I wanted it. I majored in Spanish.

When I graduated I knew I wanted to be a psychologist probably because I spent so much time in therapy I fell in love with the profession. I got my masters degree in 2 years and it’s exactly what I did…a psychologist in private practice.

It was an amazing thing to watch clients grow right before my very eyes. It was very rewarding and to this day I hear from old clients on Facebook, by email etc.

To know I made a difference in so many lives tells me I was doing the right thing at the right time. No one could have stopped me if they tried!
.-= Tess The Bold Life´s last blog ..11 Things I Can’t Live Without =-.

]]> By: Amanda Linehan http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1165 Amanda Linehan Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:04:49 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1165 Hi Chris - I really like the way you have described "the state of consciousness" we bring to things. I think that's a great way to describe what I was talking about in this post. In some sense, what we do is neither good nor bad, but what we bring to it, or why we ended up there, makes all the difference. Hi Jonathan - I usually have a result I would like in mind when I begin something. But for myself, holding on too tightly to that specific result tends to make me tense up. When I relax, and walk in the general direction of the result that I would like, but not hold on too tightly, I find that I get some version of my result, and I also can see opportunities along the way that I might have missed otherwise. I'd be interested in hearing if others feel the way that you do, though. Hi Patty - Yes, I've seen that quote about the parent's "unlived life" and it's a powerful one. I also liked that you brought up acting from "fear, insecurity, conventionality, etc." because it's not only when we knowingly are following someone else's wishes, but sometimes it's also that we feel we "desire" something when really we are trying to avoid pain. This is also not acting from yourself, but it's harder to recognize. Hi Jarrod - I like your "10 years" exercise and I think that's a great way to realize that the specific circumstances of our life right now are mostly going to be very different in 10 years, except for the things that really matter to us. So asking yourself how important something will be in 10 years (which won't be very many things) is a good test Hi Chris – I really like the way you have described “the state of consciousness” we bring to things. I think that’s a great way to describe what I was talking about in this post. In some sense, what we do is neither good nor bad, but what we bring to it, or why we ended up there, makes all the difference.

Hi Jonathan – I usually have a result I would like in mind when I begin something. But for myself, holding on too tightly to that specific result tends to make me tense up. When I relax, and walk in the general direction of the result that I would like, but not hold on too tightly, I find that I get some version of my result, and I also can see opportunities along the way that I might have missed otherwise. I’d be interested in hearing if others feel the way that you do, though.

Hi Patty – Yes, I’ve seen that quote about the parent’s “unlived life” and it’s a powerful one. I also liked that you brought up acting from “fear, insecurity, conventionality, etc.” because it’s not only when we knowingly are following someone else’s wishes, but sometimes it’s also that we feel we “desire” something when really we are trying to avoid pain. This is also not acting from yourself, but it’s harder to recognize.

Hi Jarrod – I like your “10 years” exercise and I think that’s a great way to realize that the specific circumstances of our life right now are mostly going to be very different in 10 years, except for the things that really matter to us. So asking yourself how important something will be in 10 years (which won’t be very many things) is a good test

]]> By: Jarrod - Warrior Development http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1162 Jarrod - Warrior Development Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:47:29 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1162 Very nice Amanda, it is such a shift in the beginning as we are brought up through school and university guided to do certain things and do them in a certain way. Before we know it the momentum is pushing us along and we have commitments to make. I know internally when what I'm doing is aligned with my deepest beliefs because I feel hugely positive. Whereas if I'm doing/saying things I only half believe then I feel a sort of hollowness inside, kinda draining over long periods :). The other tool I use is to ask if it were 10 years from now and my entire external world had totally changed would I still want to be acting this way, doing what I'm doing now. All fun and games, but I feel for those who feel they have no choice. You don't have re-design your life to start acting as yourself. Very nice Amanda, it is such a shift in the beginning as we are brought up through school and university guided to do certain things and do them in a certain way. Before we know it the momentum is pushing us along and we have commitments to make.

I know internally when what I’m doing is aligned with my deepest beliefs because I feel hugely positive. Whereas if I’m doing/saying things I only half believe then I feel a sort of hollowness inside, kinda draining over long periods :) .

The other tool I use is to ask if it were 10 years from now and my entire external world had totally changed would I still want to be acting this way, doing what I’m doing now.

All fun and games, but I feel for those who feel they have no choice. You don’t have re-design your life to start acting as yourself.

]]> By: Patty - Why Not Start Now? http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1161 Patty - Why Not Start Now? Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:10:49 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1161 Hi Amanda - So true, yet so challenging. One way I make sure I'm acting from myself is to ask, "Is this truly my path?" I've noticed in the past few years that when I'm thinking of acting from a place of fear, insecurity, other’s expectations, conventionality, etc., I will often say to myself and others, "But wait, this is not my path." It can take me a while to get there, though. Case in point: for many years I taught part time at the local university, which I continued even after it became clear to me that it is no longer my path. I would trip myself up by saying, "Who wouldn't want to do this? What's wrong with me for no longer wanting it?" It was a breakthrough when I finally said no. I also like your example of the doctor. Reminds me of Jung: What is the unlived life of your parents, and how is it showing up in your life? .-= Patty - Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..<a href="http://whynotstartnow.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/welcome-to-the-party-called-life/" rel="nofollow">Welcome to the Party Called Life</a> =-. Hi Amanda – So true, yet so challenging. One way I make sure I’m acting from myself is to ask, “Is this truly my path?” I’ve noticed in the past few years that when I’m thinking of acting from a place of fear, insecurity, other’s expectations, conventionality, etc., I will often say to myself and others, “But wait, this is not my path.” It can take me a while to get there, though. Case in point: for many years I taught part time at the local university, which I continued even after it became clear to me that it is no longer my path. I would trip myself up by saying, “Who wouldn’t want to do this? What’s wrong with me for no longer wanting it?” It was a breakthrough when I finally said no.

I also like your example of the doctor. Reminds me of Jung: What is the unlived life of your parents, and how is it showing up in your life?
.-= Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..Welcome to the Party Called Life =-.

]]> By: Positive Gangsta http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1160 Positive Gangsta Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:57:50 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1160 I got a question. Why detach yourself from your result, when seeing the result in your mind daily through visualization is the best way to manifest your desires? .-= Positive Gangsta´s last blog ..<a href="http://improveminduniversity.blogspot.com/2009/10/effortless-way-to-think-posiitve-for.html" rel="nofollow">Effortless Way To Think Posiitve For Dummies</a> =-. I got a question. Why detach yourself from your result, when seeing the result in your mind daily through visualization is the best way to manifest your desires?
.-= Positive Gangsta´s last blog ..Effortless Way To Think Posiitve For Dummies =-.

]]> By: Chris Edgar | Purpose Power Coaching http://amandalinehan.com/2009/10/07/act-from-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-1159 Chris Edgar | Purpose Power Coaching Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:06:03 +0000 http://amandalinehan.com/?p=979#comment-1159 Thanks Amanda -- I appreciate seeing this pointed out in the blogosphere. There are so many lists of things you should do today, but very little about our motives for doing the things we do -- or, we could say, the state of consciousness we bring to them. I could successfully follow a list of 100 steps to becoming a doctor, like in your example, without getting any satisfaction out of it if my motive is to please others, so it seems that motive makes such a key difference. Thanks Amanda — I appreciate seeing this pointed out in the blogosphere. There are so many lists of things you should do today, but very little about our motives for doing the things we do — or, we could say, the state of consciousness we bring to them. I could successfully follow a list of 100 steps to becoming a doctor, like in your example, without getting any satisfaction out of it if my motive is to please others, so it seems that motive makes such a key difference.

]]>