Don’t let barnacles slow your mojo

If you’re a boater or a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants, you know what a barnacle is. These sticky, little sea creatures attach themselves to unsuspecting surfaces, like turtle shells where they can cause health problems and boat hulls, where they cause performance issues. Humans are susceptible to a kind of barnacle, too, that prevents us from loving ourselves or achieving our highest potential. While they can be sticky little suckers, don’t let barnacles slow your mojo.

Unconscious bias turned inward

You may have heard the term ‘unconscious bias,’ referring to stereotypes we all have but may be hidden from our conscious awareness. Yet these biases influence everything in our lives, from our opinions and treatment of others to the people we choose to date or hire or befriend. According to neuroscientists, these biases are formed throughout our lives as we’re exposed to societal and parental conditioning.

The way I see it, a barnacle is an unconscious bias turned inward. Each barnacle represents a negative belief we’ve picked up from our families and society. For example, we may believe we’re too needy or too greedy, too shy or too boisterous, too thin or too fat, too stupid or too smart for our own good. Like the unconscious biases about others, we accept these barnacles as truths because as children (and sometimes as adults) we don’t know to question the world around us.

Of course, not everything we’re exposed to is negative. But if we’re weighted down by barnacles, our lives will reflect it.

Out of sight, out of mind?

Just like boat barnacles, these negative beliefs accumulate over the years and stick to us like glue. While they may be floating below our conscious awareness, barnacles influence how we think and behave as well as the choices we make. For example, we may want to go after a promotion at work, but never risk applying. We may have romantic feelings for someone, but choose to stay safely in the friend zone. We may dream of being a painter or writer, but believe all artists are starving. Meanwhile, we see all kinds of ordinary people moving up the ladder, falling in love, and pursuing their dreams.

We’ve all heard that break-up line, it’s not you, it’s me. Here it’s not you, it’s your barnacles. YOU are perfectly worthy of everything you desire. It’s your barnacles that lead you to believe otherwise.

Don’t let barnacles slow your mojo

Of course, you can choose to ignore your barnacles. But if you’re struggling with feelings of inadequacy and frustration, it can help to peek beneath the waterline and poke around. Once you shine the light of awareness on barnacles, they’re no longer subconscious—and sometimes, that’s enough to melt them away. Or it may take a little more digging to dissolve those false beliefs. In the end, it’s worth it because barnacles are no longer steering your ship. YOU are.

Think barnacles may be slowing your mojo? Consider working with a life coach to help identify your limiting beliefs and discover how to blow them out of the water.

Want to read more? Check out my blog, Good Vibrations.