I can’t.

I don’t know how.

It’s too hard.

I’m too young.

I’m too old.

I’m too this-or-that-or-the-other-thing.

I’m not enough this-or-that-or-the-other-thing.

We’ve all got them. Reasons why we can’t live the life we want to live, be the person we want to be, achieve the things we want to achieve.

Make the difference we want to make.

But they’re not really reasons. And they’re not excuses either.

They’re really our own beliefs about who we are, what we are, and what we are capable of.

And usually they’re far more limiting than the reality of ourselves.

Edison put it this way:

“If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”

What would that be like? To literally astound yourself?

I’m thinking of the woman who finds the courage to leave an abusive relationship, not knowing how she’ll make it on her own or what the future holds, but digging up some courage and facing the unknown and astounding herself.

The girl who always went along to get along who dares to finally speak her mind and hold a sign and march for what she believes in, believing in and astounding her very own self.

The businessman who’s held his love of art inside for far too long taking maybe the bravest step he can, buying some brushes and canvas and stepping into a new way of expressing himself, astounding himself.

The wanna-be-entrepreneur who takes a deep breath and takes a deep plunge and just finally decides to take the chance. Astounding herself.

Becoming who they’re meant to be. Astounding themselves.

Astounding all of us.

“There is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” (Nelson Mandela)

But we do settle. Daily. And day by day, life slips by. We may settle in to the habit of settling for less, but the desire for more never really leaves our heart. Because we were created for more than just settling. We were created to thrive. To contribute. To create. This is our destiny – to live authentically, to love boldly, to give freely.

 

We don’t dare do all the things we’re capable of, because we simply don’t believe that we’re capable of doing them.

But we are.

You are.

You’re capable of so much more than you think. You have it in you to be the person you want to be and do the things you want to do.

The day you begin to believe it, is the day you become unstoppable.

So, are you ready to astound yourself?

~xo,
LuAnne