Many individuals struggle with self-sabotaging beliefs that undermine their happiness. Common thoughts like 'It's too good to be true' create barriers to joy. Recognizing and reprogramming these limiting beliefs can help individuals embrace their right to happiness, allowing them to live joyfully and harmoniously.

Overcoming Self-Sabotage to Embrace Happiness

by Marie T Russell, InnerSelf.com

We all want to be happy! At least, we all say we do... yet, how much happiness can we handle? How much happiness are we willing to have in our lives before we sabotage ourselves?

Let's look for a minute at some of our "accepted programs". One program is recognized by the thought or statement "It's too good to be true." (Cancel that!) Another is "I knew this couldn't last!" or "Something's bound to go wrong." Other popular ones: "I always..." or "I never..." followed by some negative thought. (Cancel those too!)

How can we say we truly expect happiness while we have these beliefs that come to clog up the works?

A Dream Come True!

Something happened in my life recently which was the culmination of many prayers and affirmations. I was even heard to say that this was a dream come true. I was grateful and happy. Yet, the very next day I became ill with one of those violent headaches that I had experienced in the past.

Now at first, this seemed to be unrelated to my happiness, but rather to indigestion and stress. At least that's how it seemed. Yet, when I reflected on why I had this pain, I realized that the illness was an offspring of "my dream come true." Was I ready for happiness? Or was I still caught up in a belief in "Murphy's law" -- that something will always go wrong.

You see, there was a part of me that still believed in sacrifice, pain, and things being too good to be true... and consequently, the "doubting Thomas" in me had to manifest some negative occurrence to prove it was right. After all, our ego wants to be right, so it will create occurrences to prove that our beliefs are indeed true.

Do We Really Want To Be Happy?

Therefore, let's answer the question do we really want to be happy? The answer is usually "yes" BUT we don't believe it is possible! We have all been programmed in different ways to believe happiness is fleeting or that we don't deserve it! Consequently, as soon as we start being happy, really happy, we manifest something to destroy it or at least mar the perfection of it all... because our old beliefs do not allow perfection. You've heard it: "Well, nothing's perfect." Who says? Simply an old programmed belief.

The good side of all this is that once we are aware of our limiting beliefs, we can change them. We do not have to be stuck with any old program. We have free will and can select our beliefs. With patience and persistence, we can re-program those old happiness-aborting beliefs to happiness-supporting beliefs.

Start by telling yourself everyday, I deserve happiness! That is a truth. The doubts are errors in perception... they are misunderstandings. We have misunderstood who we are and our purpose here. We are not - I repeat - NOT sinners, nor are we here to suffer and become martyrs! We are a Divine Expression of Life and can choose to experience life as a joyful, loving experience. We can be (and are in essence) loving beings, giving and receiving love and living joyfully and harmoniously in accordance to Divine Order.

Can We Handle Happiness?

Can you handle Happiness? Yes, yes, a 1,000 times yes! We can be happy when we release barriers, fears, doubts, self-judgments, criticisms, and beliefs in shame and punishment. We need to change the programs we are listening to, internally and externally. Then we will discover that happiness has always been there -- we were simply tuned in to a different frequency.

Repeat after me, out loud (never mind the neighbors!). Say this with conviction -- with feeling:

I DESERVE HAPPINESS!
I DESERVE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!
I DESERVE PEACE OF MIND!
I DESERVE GOOD HEALTH!

Then proceed to act as if you believe these statement are true. In some cases it may be necessary to fake it till you make it!

Keep telling yourself these affirmative truths, and imagine them or visualize them as being true, until you believe them. When the old, unwanted thoughts pop up, cancel them and choose, once again, happiness, peace, love, abundance and unlimited joy. It is your birthright! And it is now time to claim it!

Happiness is yours. Give yourself permission and open yourself up to receive it.

InnerSelf Recommended book:

Reclaiming Happiness: 8 Strategies for an Authentic Life and Greater Peace
by Nicola Phoenix.

Click here for more info and/or to order this book on Amazon.

photo of Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal empowerment, and inner well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of love. joy, and creativity.

Article Recap

Identifying and reprogramming self-sabotaging beliefs is crucial for achieving happiness. Individuals should actively affirm their right to joy and take steps to eliminate negative thoughts.

#InnerSelfcom #SelfSabotage #PositiveThinking #MindsetShift #HappinessJourney #EmotionalWellbeing

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