Obstacles

Hey there!

Well... yeah... I've been away for a loooooong time. My life went through some quite fun and unexpected changes. Yes, I finally changed jobs! It was hard at first but a very good thing in the end... and now, after a very long absence, I've decided to start writing again! Why was I away? I guess my fears chased me all the way into my blog! Well... those days of being afraid of people reading what I have to say are over. =) Welcome back!

I have recently discovered that what most times stops you from doing things or achieving your goals is fear. Sometimes, we are so afraid of what other people may think, what we will think of ourselves or what will happen if we fail, that we decide not to try at all. In fact, why should we expose our fragile egos to such disappointment and shame? Well, because it's worth it! 

I have to admit I was (and still am a little) scared of writing. It wasn't only about me not having time to do it anymore (yay for excuses!), but the fact that I'm scared of people reading me that became an obstacle. Even if it shouldn't, people's opinions do matter to me. They matter because I am terribly afraid of not being perfect, and writing a blog is exposing your thoughts, abilities and knowledge to public opinion. I was nervous about not knowing what to write about that I just stopped. For some reason, one day I woke up and realized that if I don't try to face that fear, I'm never going to overcome it. I will never be closer to perfect if I don't take the first step. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to constantly push yourself to be better than you were yesterday. This is a hard yet very important mental exercise we should practice every single day. It's not only about beating others or competing to be the best, but to try things you were convinced you could not accomplish. It's about competing with yourself and challenging your fears. 

Here's a video someone I know posted on Facebook. It's quite inspirational and describes what people mean when they say your only real obstacle is your mind. This guy was told he would never walk again, exercise or live a normal life. He proved them wrong and brought tears to my eyes in the process. 

Arthur Boorman is living proof that we can do anything we truly believe we can do. Here you can see how many times he stumbled, fell and ached. However, he never gave up. He got back up and kept on trying. My very favorite part of the video is when he tells the camera: "Just because I can't do it today, doesn't mean I'm not gonna do it someday." That phrase opened a new possibility I hadn't considered. You don't have to master things the first time around, just take baby steps every day that help you get closer to your goal. Once you're there, set a new one and keep that steady flow. 

The hard part is changing the "I can't do it" or "why bother?" mindset. But, as I said before, take tiny baby steps each day. Whenever you hear yourself coming in the way of your own success, stop and remember that you can do anything you want, you just have to try. Some days will be good and easy, others will be terrible. In the end, what will matter is that you keep on pushing yourself to get closer to that goal. Never underestimate the power believing in yourself can have or the changes it may bring!

I hope this inspires you!

See you soon,

Ren =)