Reclaim the Power to Live Your Dream Lifestyle

On some level, we all want to experience positive changes to our lifestyles.

While I’m sure you are clear on what improvements you would like to see, the question is: What obstacles are keeping you from living your dream lifestyle?

In my personal experience, coupled with the research I’ve conducted on this topic over the last 15 years, there are two major obstacles that keep millions of women and men frustratingly stuck in an unfulfilling lifestyle in their 60s and beyond.

In this article and accompanying video, we are going to uncover what these two obstacles are and explore five steps to reclaim your power to live your dream lifestyle.

This is part six of a new, 12-part exclusive series for Sixty and Me readers titled, “Visualize a Vibrant New Lifestyle After 60.”

Limiting Beliefs and Your Inner Critic

The more clarity you have on these obstacles, the easier it is to reclaim your power to live your dream lifestyle.

Here are the two most common obstacles that get in the way of living your dream lifestyle after 60:

Limiting Beliefs

A limiting belief is a recurring thought whose underlying premise and origin are rooted in fear, scarcity, self-doubt, and unworthiness.

Targeting the soft underbelly of who you are, limiting beliefs convince you that you do not have enough of what it takes to be loved, successful, happy, or fulfilled.

From believing you might be too old, perceived lack of financial means or thinking it is too late to start something new, limiting beliefs hinder visualizing your dream life, stifle your creativity, and create major obstacles to positive change and personal growth.

Believing Your Inner Critic Is Right

Your inner critic is the voice of your limiting beliefs and is a significant obstacle to creating your dream lifestyle after 60.

By distorting the natural progression of change into something you fear, your inner critic uses your limiting beliefs to convince you that the dream lifestyle you desire is out of your reach.

Although your inner critic loves you and does not want to harm you, it seeks to maintain its relevance and control in your life through your limiting beliefs.

5 Steps for Reclaiming Your Power

To reclaim your power to live your dream lifestyle, you will want to rehabilitate your inner critic. It involves transforming it from a source of self-doubt into your biggest supporter for growth through self-love, compassion, empathy, and mindfulness.

The internal process of rehabilitation does not mean you ignore your inner critic. It means you stop buying into its limiting beliefs, suggestions, or ideas about who you truly are and what constitutes your power to change any area of your life.

Recognize and Acknowledge Your Inner Critic

Acknowledge the presence of your inner critic with empathy and not judgment. At first, this may not be easy, especially when dealing with self-doubt and low self-worth.

Remind yourself that you are speaking to a version of you who wants to protect you but has never been taught what that looks or feels like through love and compassion.

Challenge Negative Thoughts

When you notice negative self-talk, challenge it. Ask yourself if these negative thoughts are exaggerated criticisms from your inner critic.

Pay close attention to your inner critic’s voice, the limiting beliefs it is speaking to you through, and the circumstances in which it occurs. Knowing the context of what is being said through negative thoughts will help you challenge it with more specificity.

Remember, just because something is familiar does not make it truthful.

Develop a Loving and Compassionate Inner Voice

Whatever voice the inner critic attempts to use, an excellent method of challenging this is to reframe the dialogue through the lens of love, compassion, and forgiveness. Doing so can lessen the power of the inner critic’s harsh influence.

When you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or even unloved and undervalued, speak to yourself as you would to a dear friend or even as you would to a young, emotionally fragile child.

The more compassion, understanding, and empathy you extend to yourself, the more your outer life will reflect the dreams and desires you are seeking to manifest.

Understand Your Inner Critic’s Origin

The judgmental voices your inner critic uses to communicate stem from past experiences and limiting beliefs from childhood.

Reflect on the origins of your inner critic and what limiting beliefs are tied to this. Be sure to journal your insights and begin rewriting the narrative through new, more empowering beliefs.

Journaling for Self-Reflection

Journaling is my go-to method for visualizing my dream lifestyle. It is also an essential tool for better understanding your inner critic, clarifying your thoughts, and becoming more attuned to your feelings.

Journal instances where your inner critic stifled your desires for improving your lifestyle. Also, detail the times your inner critic helped you make positive changes to your lifestyle. What are the key differences in how you felt and the way your inner critic spoke to you.

Next Steps

In our seventh article and video, you will learn “4 Steps to Turn Your Thoughts into Your Ideal Lifestyle.”

I invite you to join me in the video, where I will share “The 10 Most Common Limiting Beliefs” to living your dream lifestyle and three journal prompts to help you integrate what you are learning.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you use journaling for self-reflection? Have you noticed where your inner critic likes to lead you? How do you plan on rehabilitating your inner critic?