It’s funny where inspiration can be found. Sometimes I can just be watching a film I’ve watch many times before, but during this particular time a certain line will jump out at me and demand my attention.

I decided to pop into the DVR this past weekend Diane English’s remake of the original The Women and a line that Meg Ryan’s character uttered did just as I explained above. She stated simply, “I just needed to get out of my own way.”

Now I don’t believe that at this moment in my life I am standing in my own way, but I must confess that I have in the past been guilty and due to this experience, I believe we are often more able to understand a lesson when we’ve experienced it for ourselves and this was just that type of occasion.

So often on The Simply Luxurious Life the topic of goals, dreams and achieving success is discussed, but how many times have you been halted in your tracks, detoured or completely stopped and you weren’t sure why?

Well today I’d like to share with you 16 ways to make sure you are helping yourself out and propelling yourself forward rather than the alternative.  We are so amazingly capable of making our lives a magical experience, but there are moments, instances and circumstances that we unfortunately allow to derail our plans. Believe it or not, I’m here to reassure you today such occurrences don’t have to be the disabling obstacles that we often allow them to be. We have so much more power than we realize.

16 Ways to Get Out of Your Own Way and Be Our Best Ally

1. Stop reading your horoscope and realize you are the determiner of your destiny.

2. Accept compliments simply by saying thank you instead of deflecting them.

3. Try anything once and take away the lessons you are offered by the experience.

4. Stop saying “I can’t” and instead give it your best shot.

5. Say no when something doesn’t feel right even if you’re not sure why.

6. Believe in yourself.

7. Respect your body. Treat it like a priceless machine.

8. Just because everyone else does it, doesn’t mean you have to as well.  It’s okay to be the black sheep if something doesn’t sit well with your palette.

9. Keep working even when the path toward your goal becomes difficult. Take a break for a breather, but never give up.

10. Respect your emotions.  Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling entirely and then let it go.

11. Don’t allow what others think of you and your decisions become what you know to be true. Define yourself by your own dictionary.

12. Stand up for yourself and find others who would be as excited for your success as you would be for theirs.

13. Stop blaming others and use that same energy instead for doing something that improves your life and others’.

14. Be curious, ask why and if nobody has the answer, go find it for yourself.

15. Don’t over-think it. Analyzing will only get you so far and then there comes a point when you just need to get busy, allow yourself to be fully in the moment and just do your best.

16. Listen to your yearnings, make sure they are truly yours and then forge ahead to follow where they lead you.