Three signs you’re scared of feeling joy:
1 You think you have to earn it
2 You focus on what could go wrong rather than right
3 You constantly feel like the other shoe is going to drop
Three signs you’re scared of feeling joy: 1 You think you have to earn it 2 You focus on what could go wrong rather than right 3 You constantly feel like the other shoe is going to drop
If you want out, if you want a decent life, you had better not devote your life to avoiding psychological pain. You had better not spend your life worrying about whether people like you or whether your car impresses people. What kind of life is that? It is a life of pain. You may not think that you feel pain that often, but you really do. To spend
... See moreMichael A. Singer • The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Best-selling author Jack Canfield once said, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” And he’s right. But I’m going to take it one step further. Pain, discomfort, shock, boredom, impostor syndrome, awkwardness, fear, being wrong, failing, ignorance, looking stupid: Your avoidance of these feelings is stopping you from a life greater than
... See moreBenjamin Hardy • Willpower Doesn't Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success
Many people feel they do not deserve happiness, are not entitled to happiness, have no right to the fulfillment of their emotional needs and wants. Often they feel that if they are happy, either their happiness will be taken away from them, or something terrible will happen to counterbalance it, some unspeakable punishment or tragedy.
Nathaniel Branden • Honoring the Self: The Pyschology of Confidence and Respect
Once we have established something new in our lives, this fear can come up as a constant irrational worry that we’re “missing something,” that our partner is being unfaithful, or that we’re one misstep away from losing it all.
Brianna Wiest • The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
Similarly, to cross the cringe minefield, you need to have humility about the fact that your perception is distorted, right now. You simply cannot see the landscape of options in your life objectively. By default, you will ignore a path to your dreams if a personally perilous emotion—worthlessness, loneliness, imperfection—is along the way. If you ... See more
Cate Hall • Crossing the cringe minefield
What these fears come down to is a deep false belief that we have to give ourselves up to be loved and to be seen as a caring person. Giving yourself up - giving up your freedom to be yourself and do what brings you joy - is a terrifying prospect. As long as we have these false beliefs - and they might be unconscious - we will likely find ourselves... See more