Decolonizing our Mindset | ep192
Mindset work is such a huge part of our growth journey. It’s truly a powerful and incredibly transformational tool. And oftentimes, its synonymous with “positive” thinking.
But love, mindset work is not “positive” thinking.
Today, we’re going to dive deeper into this, looking at what shifting and changing our mindsets actually entails while also acknowledging the lives that we live and have experienced.
Before we dive in…
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A few months ago, I saw something on Instagram that got my knickers in a twist (as I so vulnerably age myself).
USA Today named their top 5 mindset coaches. In this picture of the 5 most amazing, preeminent, impactful mindset coaches, 4 of them were white men. The 5th, a white woman.
Now, geneorous disclaimer— I’m not negating that these folks don’t have amazing, powerful things to say and that they aren’t making an impact on the world, but it really brought me back to one of my most impactful experiences at the beginning of my growth and healing journey.
I found myself in spaces that were actually very toxic and harmful. So much of the content I consumed and engaged with was from a very white, very privileged perspective.
There were people telling me to just change my thoughts, to just think more positively. It was supposed to be this quick fix that took place overnight. It was supposed to somehow let me release a history of lived experiences, the foundation that had created my thoughts and beliefs.
I was told I could just let go of these things if I thought these positive thoughts.
I really wanted them to be right.
When it comes to something as diverse as our mindsets, mindset work and its teachers have to be just as diverse.
Mindset Work is Healing
Mindset work is deep, intentional, and constant work.
The tools and frameworks of mindset can be work, they can be so powerful and transformational.
If we use them with more nuance — acknowleding our lived experiences, systems of oppression, trauma — they can be extremely helpful to all of us.
What I have come to understand so deeply is that transforming your mindset is a process of deep healing.
It’s understanding and acknowledging where your beliefs come from.
It’s understanding and acknowledging why it can be hard and sometimes feel unsafe to let them go.
It’s understanding and acknowledging that it takes time and patience to shift how we think.
Mindset work isn’t just repeating back an empowering phrase.
It is the slow and tender process of changing what you believe.
Mindset Work is about Belief
Early on in my healing journey, I was saying and repeating “positive” affirmations. They were things these coaches were telling me I needed to say and believe.
But, no matter how much I repeated them or wrote them in my journal… they just did not resonate with me.
I felt like an imposter.
Here I was in this space with this person with this incredible resume who’s helped THOUSANDS of people heal and reach their goals who was giving me this phrase and framework that would change my life…
…and it wasn’t working.
And did I feel unfixable.
If this resonates with you, love, I want you to know that you are not the problem. The problem is in the tool.
If you don’t believe what you are saying, it’s just false positivity.
Tune into the podcast to hear the full episode and get the 2 mindset tools — 192 | Decolonizing our Mindset
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About your host, Shirin Eskandani
Hi, love! I’m Shirin.
Coach, speaker, writer, and life alchemist.
I teach you how to listen to your intuition again, tune out all the BS, and let your heart lead the way.
Because once you strengthen your inner GPS, decisions become easier, boundaries become clearer, and belly laughs become a daily thing.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME:
I’m a certified life coach (accredited through the International Coach Federation)
My husband and I met on Instagram and we live in Brooklyn, NY with our plant babies
I have a masters degree in Music and was a professional opera singer for twelve years. I worked all over the world singing on stage at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera (more on that later…).
I believe in the woo just as much as I do the work (internal and external). No amount of crystals and affirmations will make up for a lack of a healthy mindset and aligned action.
I love all the Real Housewives franchises. Don’t make me choose one… seriously, don’t.