Shine is that light within you. It motivates us and it brightens our path. When we are down, afraid or experiencing unknown territory, it is what you say to yourself (your beliefs and thoughts) that determines if your light will stay bright or fade. 

Shine is not in some of us. It is in all of us. For some, feelings of imperfection, worrying about things outside of our control or even a sense of not feeling good enough make us shrink. This HeadTrash limits our shine, our ability to create new possibilities and ultimately limits our potential. Every day your self-talk tells your inner light how bright to shine.

I remember in my early career days I was told by a boss to “be less tenacious, to tone it down and go with the flow more” (hell, you won’t want to do things that allowed you to stand out!). Thank God I grew up with a father who told me throughout my life that my boundless curiosity and endless energy would always serve me and to never let anyone shut those gifts down or fade my light. I am grateful every day for that amazing man!

To really shine, you must turn on your motivational switch. These days it can be all the more difficult as we are working remote, have more home-oriented distractions (some of which we can and cannot control), or worse yet we are living in fear about finding work, keeping our job or staying healthy.

Your shine is turned on by you and is activated by motivational switch. You have control. 


Here are 5 motivational switch pitfalls that limit your shine, your happiness and most of all limit your potential. Be aware!
 

1. Beware of Apathy
Shine requires happiness. Apathy sucks all joy. Avoid apathy and the pukers (naysayers) who suck your energy. Even if you are living with an energy sucker, you have to create boundaries to stay positive and energized even when up against tough odds. Those who make things happen always fight the odds. Life is too short to live with sorrow and anxiety!


2. You Control Your Motivation
Stop waiting for someone else to turn on your motivational switch. YOU are the only switch operator. And for the record, you can’t motivate anyone except yourself.


3. FEAR  (False Evidence Appearing Real)
Allowing fear to rule your world? Fear is an illusion the little people in your head (self-talk) make up. Squash fear and you will see your own potential screaming to get out and shine.


4. Decide What You Want and Get Moving
Never underestimate the power of taking action. When you sit in worry you are not in action and inaction gets you nothing. Now you have something to really fear! If you want something different you have to get moving towards it. Worry is simply a mindset that you can turn on and more importantly you can turn off.


5. You Control Your Environment
Your environment can help inspire you to shine or not. You can still shine in an uninspiring environment, you just have to create your own little world. Sometimes it is as simple as a book of inspiration.


Peter Thomas (CEO, fanatical entrepreneur, real estate developer, inspirational leader, author, passionate speaker, investor, amazing husband and great friend) taught me to have a “word of the day”. I know it sounds ridiculously simple and that is what makes it brilliant!  


I decide on my word of the day each morning before my feet hit the ground in the morning and I focus on it throughout the day. It is amazing what this one word can create in my world. I wish I had known this mind focus trick years ago!
 

To get you started here are a few words that really turn on my motivational switch and allow me to shine all day:
 

WORD OF THE DAY (1)
 

Find your word and turn your light on!