When negative thoughts come up, do you act as if they're true?

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Are you setting yourself up for failure? Two more ways we set ourselves up for failureThe stories we tell ourselves (but not others) Automatic patterns The real point of meditation

References:

"You either control your mind or it controls you. There is no half-way compromise." –Napoleon Hill

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you're trying to change your ways, do you expect things to go smoothly?

And if things don't, what is the story you tell yourself?

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Are you setting yourself up for failure? The stories we tell ourselves (but not others) How to keep (or restore) your faith in the universe

References:

"Don't let the mistakes and disappointments of thepast control and direct your future." –Zig Ziglar

Study about women & exercise

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Do you try to do things the "right" way?

Ever notice that that gets in your way?

Resources & References

Related episodes: Procrastination & the path forward Are your excuses getting in your way? Automatic patterns

References: Post about Oprah magazine covers

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Do you trust yourself more than anyone else?

Or do you ever let conventional wisdom or other people's opinions make your decisions for you?

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Are you trying to be normal? Are your excuses getting in your way? Automatic patterns

References: Steven Pressfield The Illusion of Money by Kyle Cease

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Do you look for reasons you don't belong, or don't deserve to be somewhere?

Ever put conditions on yourself about how you need to be in order to fit in?

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Self-rejection Are you trying to be normal?

References:

"True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are." – Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

Steven Pressfield Oprah video

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you preventing yourself from ever getting what you want?

Are you using who you think you are as a reason your dreams will never come true?

Resources & References

Related episodes : Are you letting past ideas about yourself make your decisions for you? Autopilot & assumptions about yourself The stories we tell ourselves (but not others)

For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you base your decisions on past thoughts about who you are, you limit opportunities for the future.

When you're not operating based on assumptions from the past, you're free to be who you are in this moment.

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Self-image How to change your self-image Autopilot & assumptions about yourself The biggest benefit of exploring your thoughts (article on HuffPost) The upside of rejection Clearing mental clutter: Conversations in your head

References:

"The secret of life is to die before you die and find that there is no death." –Eckhart Tolle "The one who dies to this life while yet alive, has achieved liberation..." –Singh Kaur

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you're on autopilot, you make assumptions about yourself.

When you approach your choices with conscious awareness and an open mind, you can discover new things about yourself.

Resources & References

Related episodes: Autopilot Automatic patterns

References: New Study Shows Humans Are on Autopilot Nearly Half the Time

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Do you constantly tell yourself the same stories about why you are the way you are?

No matter what happens, it doesn't automatically prove anything about you.

You always have a choice as to what you make things mean about you.

Resources & References

Related episodes: Self-image How to change your self-image What happens vs. the meaning you give it (on compulsive thinking)

References: Confirmation bias

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Changing your self-image isn't about trying to convince yourself you're something you're not.

It's about giving yourself permission to make new and unexpected choices.

Resources & References

Related episodes & posts: Self-image Where limiting beliefs come from How to accept compliments (even when you don't believe them) "I can't do that. I'm not that kind of person." Are you dreaming big enough?

References: Joyce Maynard Become your bravest self

For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.