Imagine this: You’re standing at the edge of a diving board, staring down into the deep end of the pool. You know that you know how to swim. You want to jump. But something inside you tightens, a voice whispers, What if you’re not ready? What if you belly flop? What if you look ridiculous?
That voice isn’t just fear. It’s something far sneakier. Meet The Sabotage Shadow, the part of your mind that thinks it’s keeping you safe while actually keeping you stuck.
The Deceptive Protector
Most people think self-sabotage is about laziness, lack of willpower, or even a sign that they don’t really want success. But what if that’s completely backward? What if the thing stopping you isn’t trying to hurt you, but trying to protect you in the worst ways possible?
The Sabotage Shadow isn’t your enemy, like you may think. It doesn’t hate you. It isn’t plotting against you. It genuinely believes it’s helping you. Like an overprotective parent who never lets their child explore, it wraps you in a bubble of hesitation, whispering things like:
You’re not ready yet. Wait until you’re more prepared.
Success is overwhelming. It’s going to be too much for you to handle.
What if you fail? It’s safer to stay where you are.
And the worst part? Because these thoughts feel like your own, you believe them.
Why ‘Staying Safe’ Is the Most Dangerous Thing of All
Think about it: If staying safe meant never taking a risk, never making a move, and never stepping out of your comfort zone, would you ever get anywhere? Of course not.
Real safety isn’t in staying small; it’s in growing smarter.
Imagine a butterfly trying to break free from its cocoon. If it hesitates, if it stays safe by staying inside, what happens? It never develops the strength to fly. The very struggle it fears is the thing that will give it freedom.
Your Sabotage Shadow thinks it’s protecting you by keeping you inside your cocoon. But in reality, it’s suffocating your potential.
Outsmarting the Sabotage Shadow
So how do you stop battling yourself and start moving forward? You don’t fight The Sabotage Shadow; you outsmart it. Here’s how:
Recognize the Lies Disguised as Logic
Your Sabotage Shadow is clever. It won’t say, “ Don’t do it because you’re afraid.” It will say, “ Don’t do it because you should wait until the timing is perfect.” But let’s be real. When is anything ever perfect? If you can recognize the ‘logical’ excuses for what they really are (fear in disguise), you can call them out.
Reframe Fear as Proof You’re Growing
What if fear wasn’t a stop sign but a green light? What if instead of meaning stop , it meant you’re on the right path ? Imagine treating fear like soreness after a workout. It doesn’t mean you’re weak; it means you’re building strength.
Take Action Before You Feel Ready
Here’s the secret: You will never feel fully ready. Confidence doesn’t come before action; it comes because of action. Every step you take shrinks The Sabotage Shadow’s power over you.
Ask, “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?”
Your Sabotage Shadow thrives on vague, undefined fear. But when you actually pinpoint the worst-case scenario, you’ll often realize it’s not as catastrophic as your mind made it seem. And even if it is? You’ve survived hard things before; you’ll survive this, too.
Are You Ready to Break Free?
What if the version of you that has everything you want is just on the other side of a decision? What if the only thing between you and your next level is the illusion of safety your Sabotage Shadow has been feeding you?
You don’t have to fight yourself. You just have to recognize when your mind is trying to ‘protect’ you in a way that’s actually holding you back.
Your next level is waiting. The only question is: Are you willing to step past the shadow and claim it? 
If you’d like to learn more about your Sabotage Shadow and your specific limiting beliefs and fears (aka your money blocks) it’s using against you, CLICK HERE to schedule a complimentary 20-minute call with me.
