Recently, I got pretty fed up with myself. I was frustrated with this voice in my head that decided I wasn’t quite yet enough to be able to pursue what I wanted to most. Then about a month ago while listening to a podcast I heard a quote (oddly enough it was on a Youtube add that came on during the podcast, who would’ve thought) that said:
“If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.”
This statement alone had me stopped in the middle of my kitchen at 6am while making breakfast, fuzzy robe and all, and got me really thinking. I was frustrated because of the time that I had wasted on thinking I wasn’t enough (a vicious cycle really). Time spent on negative self-talk would not bring me closer to where I wanted to be. In saying so, I decided to really lean into people, places, and things that inspire and push me - fitness, music, close friends, new friends, learning, new activities, things that make me feel both nervous and uncomfortable all at the same darn time - in all the best ways. Realizing that the effort and type of energy I put in is entirely up to me made my goals seem that much more possible.
Leading with passion and excitement has helped me realize what is arguably to me the most important thing - working towards something that you are passionate about feels GREAT. It seems like it should be obvious and is something that we’ve all heard so many times before - corny sayings like, “if you love what you do you never work a day in your life” - but it wasn’t until I felt it that everything clicked. It feels amazing to put time into what you love. This does not mean it’s easy. It will take a lot of work, and a lot of time, but it sure is worth it. It leaves me with a smile on my face because time spent doing what I enjoy most feels right and leaves me more energized at the end of each day. When was the last time you did something entirely for yourself? Have you spent time discovering what fulfills you the most?
We become hard on ourselves when we focus our energy on past experiences or where we have not yet been. What does benefit us is accepting ourselves where we are and as we are at this very moment, while knowing that there are other options for us if we choose to move differently in our days. I encourage you to go for it - take that course you are really interested in, go home and work on your craft, spend time with and around those who inspire you, leave that job that you dread and replace it with what you love, carve out time in your days that cater to your growth, add even a few minutes into your day of something that makes you feel warm on the inside, ya know?
Dive the f*** in.