After coaching many clients, it is obvious that the most difficult challenge for most people is not developing certain skills, or becoming more focused, it is the skill of letting go. Many of the people I work with come to realize that what's holding them back is an inner bully, or a mindset that is making it impossible for them to move forward. In many cases, this mindset served them in a positive way at one point in the their life, but as time went by, that same mindset no longer serves them.

That inner bully originally protected them in a way that was critically important at the time. In other words, they may not have survived through their challenge back then if it hadn't been for this particular thought process.

Years later, it became obvious that this inner dialogue was no longer helping them to move forward in life. Once my client came to this realization, then the burning question became obvious. “Now that I know my problem, how do I move forward? How do I let go of that particular way of thinking?”

If you're a regular listener of Mindfulness Mode, you'll know that I refer to this negative thought pattern as your inner bully. But how do you let this thought pattern go?

If you're like me, you might have difficulty letting go of books that are accumulating on your shelves, clothes you haven't worn lately, or even tools that you no longer use. Letting go of thoughts that are holding you back can be difficult in a similar way.

First, you have to have a clear understanding of the mindset that is holding you back. Once you gain that understanding, you have to make sure your desire to let go is genuine. Does you conscious mind and your subconscious mind both agree that this mindset is no longer serving you?

• Book: The Big Book of Chakras and Chakra Healing by Dr. Susan Shumsky

• 362 Discover Mindfulness In Ultramarathon Running; Deepak Shukla