A spring adventure, where to begin? I had the honor to spend part of last week in DC. The smell of the cherry blossoms, the vastness of the architecture, the deliberate layout of the city, the breathtaking monuments and the magnificent memorials made for an incredible visit.
Much of the profound wisdom written by our forefathers caused me to pause and reflect on where I am in my own thinking. As I walked through the stunningly beautiful Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial, the quote that really hit home for me was, “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” Franklin D. Roosevelt (Prepared for April 13, 1945)
I began to think about my own dreams for my life, family and business and got intensely curious about how my doubts may be getting in the way of being able to realize tomorrow in it’s absolute fullest version.
Doubt, fear…on March 4, 1933 FDR said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." This was over 84 years ago and I find it interesting how fear continues to rule our lives today. Fear of failure, success, each other… you name it and there is probably an element of fear to it!
In my work I meet new people from all walks of life and many of them share with me their dreams and desires. Today I had a conversation with a woman who is well educated and has spent the last 20 years of her career grooming herself to open a consulting practice. The words she used to describe this desire were, “I’ve always wanted to have my own business.”
As the conversation progressed I learned she was not moving forward to pursue her dream because of fear and it has completely paralyzed her!
One of the first questions this capable young woman asked me was, “What will I do if I fail?” I paused and quietly responded, “What will you do if you succeed?” It became crystal clear to me the idea of success had yet to become a possibility for her and she was not able to imagine it as a viable option.
As I left the coffee shop, all I could think about were the quotes I read in the FDR memorial and wondered where would we be as a society if we spent more time teaching our children how to overcome doubt and use fear as a guide at a younger age.
The older we get the more skill, patience and practice it takes to master the power we hold within our minds. Being able to shift an ingrained belief, which may be currently limiting who we are to one of inspiration and empowerment, starts with deciding to make a change.
What if you could change the questions you ponder and lose sleep over as soon as they begin instead of years later? What would happen if you decided to reframe these doubts and fears into possibilities? I’m curious, where is self-doubt and fear showing up for you?
You have the power to define your experience by the stories you tell yourself. What would you like your new story be? As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right!”
Let me know if you decide to reframe one of the stories you are telling yourself to a more empowering and inspiring version cause I’d love to help you create a celebration for your decision! If you would like to talk about more strategies to shift your thoughts and stories click here and book a complimentary discovery session with me today.