A story to read on days when 'Dream Big' starts to feel painful

"You are the one holding yourself back"
"You don't need to set limits"
"Give yourself permission"

These are words often added to discussions about mindsets, vision boards, and goal setting.

I have actually tried doing this myself.

I wrote down many ideals in a notebook.
I imagined the future.

"It's okay to be freer."
I tried telling myself that.

That time was certainly exciting.

But at the same time, it also started to feel painful somewhere along the way.

The more I painted my ideals, the more it felt like I was denying my 'current self',
and intentionally trying to create a 'gap between who I am now and who I want to be.'

"I'm still not enough"
"I have to try harder"
"Isn't this version of me not good enough?"

As those kinds of words increased in my head, there were times when I gradually lost sight of what I truly wanted in the first place.

What was supposed to be for looking at the future had, before I knew it,
become 'material for blaming my current self.'

► Painting ideals is not a bad thing

Painting ideals in itself is not bad.

I believe that removing the assumption that "it might be impossible for me" is important for rewriting your self-image.
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However, for some people, that approach
sometimes leads to suffering.

And when they are burdened by that suffering,
they may be told things like
'That's because your mindset isn't right'
or 'Your self-image is too low,'
which only drives them to push themselves even harder.

'To become a new you,
let go of your ties and old attachments'
is also a phrase we often hear.

But I feel that
the things we have spent time on,
the things we have worked hard for,
and the things we have cherished

if we try to forcibly
cut them off by saying 'I am no longer attached to these,'
I have sometimes felt that
it actually leaves our hearts behind.

The past is the past, but
what you have done will not go to waste.

Because of that accumulation,
you are here, right now.

If you can think that way,
don't you feel a little bit better?

What is important is not letting go of the past,
but 'how you want to treat yourself from now on.'

And,
I also believe that the reason you cannot move forward
is not necessarily because 'your consciousness is low.'

► People are influenced by the space they are in

In your head,
you think, 'I want to live more freely.'

However, there are times when the deeper parts of your heart or your body
have not yet
caught up to the speed of that change.

It is not that you are being lazy,
nor is it that your willpower is weak.

It may simply be that
you did not yet have enough of a foundation to feel secure.

And lately, I have come to think, in particular, that
this 'foundation' is deeply connected to
the space you inhabit every day.

People try to become the kind of person
who is worthy of the space they are in

I have heard it said that way.

When you are in a cluttered room,
the feeling of just letting things slide with a 'well, that's fine'
gradually piles up.

Conversely, when you are in a calm space,
the sense of treating yourself with care is naturally nurtured.

In other words,
no matter how much you picture your ideals in your head,
if the space you are in every day is filled with 'good enough' things,
it is quite difficult to change.

To give an extreme example...
when you go to the neighborhood store for daily necessities,
versus when you go to a somewhat upscale hotel lounge,
there is a change in both your attire and your posture, isn't there?

Aligning your self-image
with your space and environment
is something that can be done surprisingly easily.

► Give yourself the gift of a comfortable atmosphere

That is why, when I felt that dreaming or envisioning the future was becoming a burden, I decided to change my perspective.

Instead of trying to envision a 'magnificent future,' I started to value 'what kind of atmosphere I want to live in.'

An atmosphere where I can speak my feelings without rushing. An atmosphere where I can breathe deeply and comfortably. An atmosphere where I don't have to treat myself poorly.

When I used that 'feeling of making it easier for my heart to breathe' as a standard, the pressure of the future eased a little, and I began to think, 'I will start organizing things little by little from here.'

First, try imagining yourself in a room where you feel comfortable.

Not 'I have to clean up... I have to tidy up...'

It is enough to just imagine how you would feel being there.

Even just doing that is the first step toward treating yourself with care.

A space where you can feel relieved when you come home tired. A bedside area where you feel you can sleep properly. A desk where you can take a deep breath.

An 'environment where you don't have to treat yourself poorly' is not just about cleaning up.

I believe it is an act of reaffirming to yourself, 'You are a precious being.'

So, you don't have to
try to change everything at once.
Start with just one small thing.

For example,
・Place your favorite mug on the table
・Tidy up your desk a little
・Turn on a soft light

In that way,
why not give yourself a gift
by creating one space where a 'comfortable atmosphere' flows for you?

Thank you for reading
this article
to the end.

See you again.

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I want this to be a place where we can look at your 'quiet, true feelings' together.
When you need to, please reach out from here.

Other articles are also organized
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There might be something
that matches how you feel right now.
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