Today I wanted to take a moment to talk about life potential and "limiting beliefs." Limiting beliefs are those little voices in the back of your head that say "you can't do this, you don't deserve it" or "you are not good enough." I just wanted to tell you that despite what people tell you and despite what your little voices tell you, that you CAN achieve and DO just about anything you put your mind to.

This is the stuff that makes me tick. I love being motivated and happy in life. I love that challenge as it IS a challenge to maintain and nurture. Is it just in my nature to be a happy energetic guy who sees that life has infinite potential? BOOM! No, it's a conscious decision to wake up every day with the thought that today will be a GREAT day and that I'm happy to be alive. I'm getting a bit personal here, but this is my core and this is what I want to share today.

You see, there will be people in your life who are like anchors to the bottom of the ocean and it is important to NEVER believe their hurtful words or actions. And, if possible, it is important to evaluate the destruction that person may be causing to your life and your potential. In order to do this you have to build yourself to be stronger. Here are some things I've found helpful in doing this:

1. Realize when this is happening
2. Know why it is happening
3. Surround yourself with better people

Realizing when this is happening:
To realize when this is happening is the key. But first you have to know why this is happening.

Know why someone would do this to you:
When someone tries to hurt you they may do this because they feel threatened and they don't want to see you succeed. They may not know this consciously but people would rather see you "stay where you are" than to see you grow and become something better. If they are someone who is close to you, they may do this out of "love" because they don't want to "lose" you as you move onwards and upwards in life. It challenges their comfort level.

Surround yourself with better people:
I have a pop up window that comes up every Monday morning with a few quotes. This helps me start my work week on the right foot. Among the quotes is one from one of my great life mentors (I'll talk more about this in the future) which says, "Your life is a direct reflection of the expectations of your peer group." Basically this means the people you hang out with is who you will become like. If you hang out with people who do not believe in their capabilities be careful as you will find yourself dropping back from your full potential. In contrast if you hang out with other people who know where they are going and know they WILL get there then you will elevate to the next level of your potential.

In life I find this lesson to be so important. It's tough as in one point in my life I used to sabotage my potential because I was afraid of losing friends or of what other people may think of me. Nowadays I care little about what people think of me and know it is more about being true to myself and being who I am. I pass this on as I hope you never have to be limited in your life or feel limited of your potential. Most anything in life is achievable, you first have to believe in your own ability and never doubt it. #3 will help support and strengthen this trait inside of you and it will become second nature in time.

[Thanks to BIM for the cool photo]

Labels: Bobby Beck