Know your limitations – you do have some. But be careful how many you accept. For limitations – don’t believe them all. When I was four, I decided I wanted to be a comedian like Lucille Ball when I grew up. My mother encouraged me, saying I’d have to work at it, but I could do that. I had various other ideas; I think being President of the United States was one of them, and I always felt supported.
Until one day. I had been reading a book on Hiawatha. The “Indian Princess” had beautiful long shiny black hair, which I wanted. So I announced my new ambition – to be Hiawatha. I remember Mother sitting me down and explaining that I couldn’t be anything I wanted. She said I did have limitations.
Other people were not so nurturing. My 5th grade music teacher put me in the back row and told me to stand still and be quiet. I took that to mean I couldn’t sing – a limitation which I carried around with me for decades. Although it was the opinion of a teacher that I couldn’t sing, I’d now call that a self-imposed limitation. Wasn’t I responsible for not challenging it as an adult?
Since our limitations have such an impact on our progress, understanding what we consider our limitations can be very useful. Take another look at yours, and challenge their validity:
- If someone told you as a child you lacked a certain talent, how valid is their judgment now?
- Are some boundaries not really limitations, but simply too much effort? Like training for the Olympics.
- Do you attribute some limitations to your relationships or social environment?
- If you have previously been limited by your lifestyle, maybe that can change.
- Do you have a strong desire for something that hasn’t come easily? That’s not a limitation.
- Finally, identify which confines are physical, un-debatable or unchangeable. Like me and Hiawatha.
Re-examine your limitations today. You may decide to change them.
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