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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson
Have you ever noticed how self-sabotage tends to appear precisely when you are on the verge of something extraordinary? As a reparenting coach and author, I have guided countless others through these moments. Yet this week, I found myself living this truth in a profound way.
With just days remaining before launching a Kickstarter campaign to promote my mission of creating and publishing nearly 40 children’s books designed to build a generation that won’t need healing – I found myself caught in the grip of total paralysis.
Years of preparation, writing books, working with an illustrator, building a community, creating websites, and growing a platform, all leading to this moment. And instead of feeling excited and ready, I watched myself slip into a familiar pattern of doubt and fear.
After setting a clear deadline of February 19th to complete my campaign for launch on March 4th, the thoughts began creeping in: “Your network is not big enough.” “What if you fail?” “What will your children think of you if you fail?”, ”You’re supposed to be the strong one”, Who are you to even attempt this?”
Two days of near-complete paralysis followed. Instead of finalizing my campaign materials, I found myself stuck in the flight-fight-freeze response, with freeze taking the wheel. This is what self-sabotage looks like in its most raw form – not a dramatic act of destruction, but a quiet withdrawal from our own potential.
As I sat with these feelings, seeking guidance and understanding, I began to recognize that this self-sabotage stems from something much deeper than simple fear of failure. It comes from a cellular-level belief about who we are safe to be in this world.
For me, these limiting beliefs were shaped by:
Perhaps you can relate to some of these experiences, or perhaps your self-sabotage stems from different wounds. The common thread is that we often subconsciously choose familiar pain over unknown potential.
THE AWAKENING MOMENT
The breakthrough came when I realized I was facing a crucial choice point. The discomfort of quitting felt equal to the fear of moving forward. But sitting deeply with both options revealed a fundamental truth – my only real fear was of failing, not of succeeding.
This awareness brought clarity:
The journey through self-sabotage begins with awareness – that moment when we step back and become the observer of our own patterns. This is where true transformation becomes possible. When we can witness our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without judgment, we create space between stimulus and response. In this space lies our power to choose differently.
Here are the key steps I have found crucial:
1. Pattern Recognition
2. Root Cause Exploration
3. Conscious Choice
4. Practical Action
5. Seek Reflective Support
Like shining a light into a dark room, awareness illuminates what was previously hidden from view. It allows us to see the automated responses that have been running our lives, the unconscious programs that have been making our decisions. Only then can we begin to consciously redirect our path.
THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE
When facing self-sabotage, it is natural to question whether the resistance we feel is negative entities / the dark side, or whatever you want to call it, trying to knock us off our path or innate wisdom guiding us to pause. In my experience, the answer lies in how the resistance feels.
Fear of failure that keeps us small is rarely divine guidance. True spiritual guidance, even when it redirects us, feels expansive rather than constrictive. It leads us toward growth, even if that growth looks different than we initially imagined.
TELLING A NEW STORY
As I write this, I am choosing to face my fears and move forward with my mission of transforming children’s lives through conscious literature. This Kickstarter campaign is my commitment to bringing 39 empowering books into the world.
It is at this conscious point that we have the power to redirect ourselves by telling a new story – one of success, worthiness, abundance, possibility, and courage. At any moment, we can change our perspective on any circumstance or experience in our life simply by changing the story we tell about it.
The resistance we feel is our old self doing its best to remain. This is your ego – the part of you that formed to keep you safe. By never attempting to succeed, you could never fail, and thus avoid the feelings of failure. It becomes a vicious loop, and it’s time to get off this merry-go-round by breaking the pattern and facing your scariest fears – the ones that lock you up and stop you dead in your tracks.
What are your fears? What dream are you holding back from? What light are you afraid to shine? Remember, recognition of the pattern is the first step to breaking free from it.
Take some time to sit with these questions, allowing your answers to emerge from a place of honest self-reflection:
If you are reading this between March 4th and April 3rd, 2025, you’re right on time to be part of this transformative journey. Our Kickstarter campaign for “Courage Finds His Calm” – the first of 39 children’s books designed to build a generation that won’t need healing – is LIVE!
By backing this project, you’re not just supporting a book – you’re investing in a future where children learn early that it takes Courage to find their CALM. You’re helping create a world where emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and conscious living principles are woven into their daily stories.
Visit the Courage Finds His Calm Kickstarter campaign: The campaign link will be posted on my websites, awakentheone.org, and reparent-yourself.com as well as, across all my social media profiles as soon as we receive approval on our submitted campaign.
If you’re reading this outside the campaign dates, join my newsletter community to stay connected with this mission and receive updates about future opportunities to be part of building a generation that won’t need healing.
Remember – just like our hero Courage, sometimes the biggest act of bravery is taking that first step forward, even when we’re afraid. What step will you take today?
Wishing you empowerment and purpose in your journey. With love and gratitude,
Note: If you’ve experienced personal difficulties, or simply need some guidance, support or a life line to assist you in your healing journey, I am here for you.
Please email me at: Please email me at: [email protected] or
Book a free 30-minute consultation with this link: https://calendly.com/30min-breakthrough-call
© 2025 LISA WATSON, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED