What holds us back from our greatest potential in life? The simple answer may surprise you.
One of the leading causes of limiting our personal growth is negativity. If we have fallen victim to it, negativity can take over our lives and become the core of our thoughts. These thoughts can translate into our actions, making us lazy, rude, and careless. It is so simple and yet so complex, and it does take practice to change. According to transformational guru Jafar “Master Jeff” Jafari, we can all reach new heights by maintaining a positive mindset.
Each and every one of us has untapped potential. But harnessing that power, even if we know it’s there, can be tough to do by ourselves. We sat down with Master Jeff to learn the top three key insights that can help all of us cross new borders in our lives.
Positive Mantra
The simple adages that we all hear over and over are cliches because they are true. Small steps, like adopting a positive daily mantra, have a big impact over time. Understanding our own psychology and upgrading it as best we can is the key to success.
Imagine a glass of water. The water represents happiness and success. If you add a drop of black ink, the water will turn gray. This ink represents negative thoughts. Each drop will turn your water darker until it is black. But the same can be said in reverse. Each positive thought can dilute the water and bring it back to a lighter color.
So, in order to create daily positivity, repeat a mantra to yourself in the mirror. It should take less than one minute. Even if you don’t feel like it’s working in the moment, over time it will have an impact. Anything that makes you feel powerful and describes something you want to achieve will work, but here are some examples:
“I am alive!” represents the possibilities of being able to change our future and live our best lives.
“I am the best!” reminds us that we are the number one person in our lives that can get us what we want.
“I will make it!” keeps us going and helps us to stay strong in troubled times.
These mantras aren’t just phrases. They are the beginnings of self-love. Loving yourself is the first step to loving others, loving your work, and making loving choices. All of this breeds major success.
Self-Reflection and Improvement
A positive mantra is all well and good, but what are you working towards? Set aside a weekend to go on a soul search to discover your inner potential. It is crucial to discover your most authentic self.
Ask yourself questions like, “What do I want?” and follow up with “Why?” Get inquisitive. You can journal, create a mood board, or even write a poem. Make a list of the things that excite you, and figure out what you don’t need in your life.
Maybe you thought you wanted to own twenty luxury handbags, but you really just want to lose weight. Figure out where you are lying to yourself so you can push towards your real dreams and create a better future.
This is called finding your “Zone.” Your Zone is unique to you and contains everything you need to lead the life you truly want. You can’t take concrete actions until you know which way your inner compass is pointing.
One New Habit
If you want to start a business, foster better relationships, or take better care of your health, you need to break these big goals into bite-sized pieces. Small, consistent habits create big changes in our lives over time.
It may not feel like it, but our habits define us. Not our possessions, not our looks, not our achievements. All of these outcomes are products of our daily choices. As long as we allow bad habits to be in charge, we cannot achieve our full potential.
So pick just one habit. The key to consistency is to simplify. Maybe you want to read books about entrepreneurship, keep in touch with your family more often, or drink less alcohol. Decide to read a page a day, call one person every weekend, or switch from cocktails to water on weeknights. Whatever it is, choose a small habit that reflects your larger goal, and stick to it. Like, forever.
Life is short, and changing one habit will snowball into more. Once the first habit feels like second nature, add a new one. Keep your bank of good habits growing and before you know it, you’ll be looking back on your past and saying, “Wow, look how far I’ve come!” Measure your success by looking at your past.
Surprisingly, the goal with these three approaches is not to feel energized and excited. Getting overzealous upon learning new lifestyle tips is actually a pitfall. People tend to get so electrified about the idea of their new life that they quickly burn out and go back to their old ways.
Inspiration is not what makes life changes happen. Small, actionable steps and knowing what we truly want will get us there. With this approach, we are the best versions of ourselves every single day.
About Jafar “Master Jeff” Jafari
Jafar Jafari was a self-made millionaire by the age of 20 and both an entrepreneur and educator with over two decades of experience. He is the founder and CEO of the PSC Academy, Inc., and Buildgoal, Inc., serving more than 100,000 students and helping develop 5,000 coaches in nearly 40 countries. For more information about ‘Master Jeff’, please visit him on Youtube or his site: www.masterjeff.io.
