“Affecting change in your life is solely dependent upon you – give yourself permission to grow and get started!”
There are hundreds of reasons to explain why we can’t accomplish something. We can be very creative about all the various scenarios preventing us from finishing what we start; or, stop us from even putting our efforts into gear. In reality, there is only one reason for our inability to engage – us!
Today’s blog comes from recent personal experience. In fact, today’s blog emanates from my inability to passionately embrace and share the gift of 100Pedals. Much of what many of you have been able to share and experience with 100Pedals has been me being safe with it. I write a few blogs, offer daily inspiring quotes, and offer my story to those who are interested in it; but, I have yet to truly embrace and engage the passion, the energy, and my experiences of 100Pedals. This is because I have crafted all kinds of reasons that prevent me from fully engaging. Though 100Pedals has touched many people, inspired many lives, and influenced many positive outcomes, I have not allowed it to be all that it can be because I have been holding it back.
How can something I am so passionate, excited, and energized about be held back? The answer is simple – fear. I am not going to get into all the details about these fears, except to share that now that I realize and own my responsibilities associated with these fears I will not be holding back anymore. I am guiding 100Pedals to its full capabilities without hesitation, without fear, and without permission or approval from anyone.
I have been presented with a gift that reflects everything I believe in and am passionate about; and, regardless of my internal issues, I am turning 100Pedals loose.
We all have tons of reasons for holding back on opportunities, dreams, and visions that are important to us. Often we hear terms like “try”, “but”, “can’t”, “what if?” – which reflects these internal fears and self-imposed limitations in full swing.
When you passionately pursue something, the worst that can happen is failure. And, it is in our human nature to avoid failure. Unfortunately, we confuse not succeeding with failure. Not succeeding does not mean we failed. Not succeeding means we ended up in a place that was different than what we expected. That is not failure.
How can passionately pursuing an outcome, moving forward with purpose and ending up in an entirely new and different place be considered failure?
The experiences of the journey, the lessons learned along the way, and the transformation that occurs in your life as a result of the committed effort are all accomplishments. Accomplishment is growth and progress – it is not failure. The challenge is to avoid creating expectations for your journey. Expectations have a way of limiting your view of accomplishment and it specifically, narrowly defines your definition of success.
Instead, focus your perspective on a vision of your accomplishment – the emotional, physical, psychological impact of you living your life in complete passion, embracing your purpose. It is the daily celebration of our living with passion and purpose that brings peace, joy and clarity in our lives.
I held back on 100Pedals because I had started to create an expectation around its outcome –100Pedals had to be something. What got lost in this mind game was that 100Pedals is already something. All I need to do is passionately share it and confidently guide it on its path and 100Pedals will be whatever it is supposed to be. And, rather than my success by a defined set of expectations, I can celebrate – with passion and purpose – the experience, the lessons, and the journey of all that I learn and share along the way. This is a lot more inspiring and energizing than focusing on an outcome. Embracing the opportunity allows the journey to be the outcome.
You have two choices: Pursue, with passion, that which energizes and inspires you where the worst that can happen is “nothing.” (which is not true –something will happen!) Or, you can stay frozen –stuck in place — where the best that can happen is “nothing.”
Simply put, get your “but” out of your way – you are guaranteed to learn, enjoy and celebrate something along the way!
