lizard brain

Quit Monkeying Around

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 15 Conversations

 

Until recently, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if I was on the right track with my business.  Was this powerful self-reflection on my part?

No.

It was just my ol’ friend Lizard Brain, lurking in that dark, scary part of my mind, doing its best to stop me from pursuing something it deemed risky or unsafe.

For months I’ve been seized by a lethargy created by having too many options – similar to standing in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet.  And like the aforementioned buffet, this may seem appealing at first. . .until heartburn sets in.

Is it possible to have too many options?

Absolutely!

Enter the monkey mind: Continue reading →

Making Friends with the Lizard

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 19 Conversations

 

About 3 weeks ago I read Seth Godin‘s new book, Linchpin. Yes, I know, I’m still talking about Seth, but hang on, you’ll find out why in a moment.

Since then, I have had more creative energy, completed more tasks and begun more projects than the previous 3 – 6 months. The difference is astounding and I feel like I’ve had a blow to the head!

We all have defining moments and reading Linchpin was one of those for me. My friend Mary raved about it until I had to read the book just to shut her up. I truly had no idea it would alter my life so profoundly.

So, what happened?

The illusions I’d created to keep myself safe fell away one by one as I read the book, and I got clear what it was costing me to not keep my word to myself. As a coach I am brilliant at supporting others to pursue their passions and take action, but left to my own devices my lizard brain can get pretty damn active.

This of course leads to suppressing myself and playing it safe, behaviour that seems pretty uncoach-like.

It’s just very, very human.

My lizard brain will do anything to keep me from being creative, taking a risk and moving out of my comfort zone. Ironically, these are all actions that leave me feeling enlivened and satisfied.

When I decided to launch this blog, my lizard brain went on high alert; I had apparently entered the danger zone and the chatter in my head got loud – really $%^& loud.

I was having panic attacks, unable to sleep and feeling worried about these weird conversations I was having with myself.

Conversations that went something like this:

Continue reading →

Look Seth, I’m Shipping!

Posted on by Sandi Amorim 11 Conversations

 

I have become a Seth Godin groupie.  In the past two weeks, I’ve read The Dip and Linchpin, the book that’s inspired me to finally take the plunge and “ship”.

I’ve thought about it, read about it, downloaded “how to” ebooks about it and so on. That’s just a few of the many distractions that have stopped me in my tracks. Each time, I’ve rationalized and come up with what I thought was a valid reason to wait. The lizard brain won each and every time.

Until NOW.

As I’ve immersed myself in Seth-land, I have felt challenged, called out and energized, all at the same time. In The Dip Seth says,

“Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.”

My wrong stuff (procrastinating & obsessing, wasting hours online “researching”, etc.) has been exhausting. My right stuff (hanging out with my writers’ group, even though I was barely writing) has fed my soul, however inconsistently.

Seems like an easy choice, so why has it been so damn hard to quit the wrong stuff?

Continue reading →