Breaking Free from Old Roles. A Powerful Practical Exercise
The Greatest Battle Is Within
The biggest obstacle to change is not found in the outside world but within yourself. The barrier on your path to transformation has your face because you are both the obstacle and the liberator.
It’s tempting to believe that external circumstances, unexpected challenges, other people, or even fate and karma are what hold us back. But in reality, the only true obstacle is you. And only you have the power to set yourself free from the roles, beliefs, and limitations that no longer serve you.
How to Begin Noticing Your Roles
We live our lives confined by roles — sets of beliefs about who we are and how we should behave. These roles often operate unconsciously, shaping our thoughts and decisions without us even realizing it. However, the moment we stop and recognize this, we gain a powerful insight: we can choose our roles consciously.
1. Pay attention to your inner dialogue:
For one month, track your thoughts and reactions in different situations. For example:
What do you tell yourself when a new idea comes to mind? Do you support yourself or immediately dismiss the idea as unrealistic?
How do you react when someone treats you aggressively?
What do you tell yourself after saying “no” to someone?
What thoughts arise when you check your bank account and see less money than expected?
This inner dialogue reveals how you perceive yourself. For instance, if saying “no” makes you feel uncomfortable or prompts you to justify your decision, it may indicate that you cling to the role of “the good person who never disappoints others.”
2. Make conscious choices about your roles:
By becoming aware of these thought patterns, you can intentionally redefine your roles rather than passively following old scripts.
Practical Exercise: Imagine Yourself Transformed
1. Take a pen and paper and choose one trait you would like to change.
2. Visualize yourself as already transformed. Write down what different people would say about you:
Your family and close friends
Your colleagues
People who casually observe you from afar
3. Describe what they would say to your face and what they might say behind your back. Imagine that this transformation has already happened. This exercise is incredibly powerful because it allows you to:
See yourself through the eyes of others as a changed person
Identify the internal barriers that have prevented you from imagining this version of yourself
Realize which people in your life might not accept your transformation and may no longer align with your new path
A Thought-Provoking Question
What is the most significant change that must occur in your physical world? Is there someone or something you need to distance yourself from to make your future reality possible?
Share your thoughts and questions. Remember: only you stand in the way of your transformation, but only you can also set yourself free.