We beat ourselves up, thinking we have no willpower, when really we just have some emotions we are afraid to feel. You don’t have a willpower problem, you have a brain that is constantly wanting to protect you with comfort and distraction. Awareness of that fact of your brain is powerful. Because guess who is in charge of that brain as soon as you are aware of what’s going on? You are!
So I think we should all stop telling ourselves we have a willpower problem. I think we should all realize it’s not a trust issue with ourself, it boils down to our brain and how it was designed to work. It was designed to protect us from life threatening situations. That’s why it is so tempting to head towards comfort. Our brains are actually hardwired to protect us from bad things. These days, most of the bad things are feelings.
Email me with comments! heidi@heididawson.com
