How many of us are in our present circumstances based on things
we were taught as children? Some of those things might have been
ingrained into our mind for a reason, such as safety. But, now
that we're adults, are any of the old rules subconsciously
holding us back?
I know a woman who had a little girl named Heather, a blonde
haired, blue eyed exuberant child who pushed her limits. Now, a
mother's job is to protect her daughter from injury and danger.
Boundaries were set, as they should be. When Heather turned
five, she wanted to ride her bike out of the driveway. They
lived in a small subdivision with no sidewalks, and mom wanted to
be able to see her at all times. She told her she could go as
far as the stop sign, which was two houses away. The rule was
when Heather saw the stop sign, she would "Stop and Go Home".
The rule worked great; Heather always turned around at the stop
sign and came back home. About a year later, they were headed on
a trip - packed the suitcases, buckled the kids in, and took off.
An hour into their travels, they stopped at an intersection. As
they were waiting for their turn to go, Heather said, "Oh no! Now
we gotta go home". She'd seen the stop sign, and it had been
ingrained into her head that it really meant "STOP and go home"!
Now, the word Stop means do not go progress - do not move forward
- immediately discontinue the action at hand. When we were
children, "stops" were given to us for our safety and well being.
But, now that we're grown up, how many of us still use "stops" as
a safety net? What devices that were used to keep us safely
within our boundaries are we hanging on to that prevents us from
advancing?
How often do people begin to get close to realizing their dreams,
to changing their lives, and they hit a "stop sign"? Maybe they
"stop" because there isn't enough money to take the next step, or
they are afraid to leave the certain safety and security of their
current job to change careers - the fear of the unknown. What
will happen when you cross the boundaries that have been
ingrained into your thinking?
When you hit a stop, you have two choices: One: Stop, do not
move forward, do not pass go. Stay with the familiar and remain
at status quo. Two: Find that little nudge, that hand in the
small of your back, which gently pushes you to take the first
step beyond your present boundaries, for with each step you take,
you are that much closer to achieving your goals and the
realizing your dreams.
Try to look at all the stop signs, and obstacles in your life as
positives. They are opportunities to push your limits, and find
a way to move forward. They are momentary pauses on the path to
success!
Keep movin', and keep smilin'..
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