Feeling stuck? Focus on what you already have

‘You have exactly what you need right now, for where you are today.’ – Joel Osteen

I really like this statement because it reminds me to stop focusing solely on what's missing and take stock of what I already have available to me.

Not too long ago, I was having a low day - yes, we coaches have low days as well. It’s life.

I was feeling down; I was struggling to find the right venue for one of my workshops. The venues were either too small, cost way too much or were not in the right location. I had a set time by which I wanted to secure the venue and was seeing little hope for me to secure the right venue. I was feeling disheartened.

The next day I woke up early, and I thought to myself, okay, Ayesha, I need a little time out. I needed to take my focus away from the venue and focus on what is going right. I thought I should get a little motivation and inspiration.

I went on YouTube and found an inspiring video. I came across one of Joel Osteen’s videos. In that video, he started with a message stating that ‘You have exactly what you need today for where you are today’.

I was like, that is so true. I paused the video and turned to my partner and said I have everything that I need for where I am today, so why am I so sad? It was like a light bulb moment. A moment of realisation. As if I was sleeping and just woke up.

I knew this. But it was like I forgot.

I then had to meditate on that message for a moment and really understand what exactly that message was telling me.

I started thinking about what I already had available to me: resources, people, support, love, knowledge, equipment and information. Rather than focusing entirely on what I was missing, I started to recognise what was already there and what I could make use of.

This message allowed me to remember that I have so much abundance in my life, so much to be grateful for. I am wealthy.

• I’m wealthy with love.
• I am wealthy with knowledge.
• I am wealthy with information.
• I am wealthy with resources.
• I am wealthy with people.

When something isn't going our way, our attention can become so focused on the problem that it's easy to overlook what's already working or available to us.

Funnily enough, that very day was the day that I secured the perfect venue for my workshop. The venue was better than what I anticipated. What helped me was taking stock of the resources I already had and thinking about how I could use them differently.

So now, I just want to leave you with this. No matter what your situation is, or what you may be experiencing right now, take a moment to consider what you already have available to you.

What can you learn?

Is there anything this situation could teach you about yourself, what you need or what you might do differently?

Who could support you?

Think about the people already around you and whether there is someone you could ask for help, advice or another perspective.

What resources do you already have?

Before focusing on what you're missing, take stock of the knowledge, skills, information or practical resources already available to you.

Start by noticing and appreciating what you already have, rather than focusing only on what you don't. You may find there are more options available to you than you first realised.