Do you have the courage to lose sight of the shore?

This article is about the concept of self-limiting in regards too the human condition.

 

One of my earliest childhood memories is when I first started coloring, drawing and creating images. My mom was incredibly supportive and enthralled with everything I put down on paper. I believe my love for creating was nourished by my mom’s joyous reaction to whatever I showed her. She offered me approval, acceptance, love and encouragement. I could feel even at a young age how much she believed in me, it was intoxicating and it made me start to believe in myself, my creative powers, my imagination was set on fire. A fire that never went out.

My mom made me feel like I had magical powers. She still does.

 

All you need is one person to believe in you for the rest of your life.

– Greg McKeown

 

If you watch the Olympics and an athlete is getting interviewed after winning a gold medal the question almost enviably gets asked, 

“Who do you owe your success too?”

The athlete gets emotional. Takes a moment, gets reflective and usually says,

“I owe this all to my mom, 

or my dad, 

my grandmother, 

a brother or my coach.” 

You can feel the belief that person had in them. Its probably why it’s so emotional. They are crying, you are crying, we all are crying. Why does that moment spark so much emotion both with the athlete and us? Have you ever thought about why it’s so universally impactful?

Someone believed in them unconditionally and they believed in themselves and they did something with all the belief. What a beautiful gift to give or receive from another person. We relate to it, we understand it, we want it.

My question is this.

Why can’t we be that person for ourselves?

Why can’t we be the person that believes in ourselves?

Why does the belief need to come from another source?

Why do we need unconditional affirmation from someone else?

Why cant we be the believer and the sole source of that belief?

Why can’t we step outside our fear, our insecurities, our self applied barriers, our own heads and just believe in ourselves?

Why can’t we be the one person who believes in ourselves for the rest of our life?

 

 

You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness,

Never give up.

– Richelle E. Goodrich

 

 

I sign up and run Spartan obstacle races. I hear quite often this declaration:

“I could never do that.” I don’t know if this is a true statement or not. I just listen. I do know, if you eliminate the word “never” you are left with. I could do that. 

Never is a pretty definitive word for an opinion. How do you know if you can or can’t unless you try? 

Trying is a form of believing. 

Trying works your belief muscles. 

Trying makes you stronger.

Never goes nowhere, does nothing.

You may not want to which is fine, but you may be capable of. There is a difference. 

I run quite a bit. I hear quite often this declaration:

“I can’t run.”

Then I get a list of reasons. I have bad knees, bad back, bad hips, may I politely add a bad attitude.

Are these excuses? Are they real limitations? Are you saying you could if you didn’t have faulty parts? Or do you have faulty thinking?

I’ve seen people cover 30 miles and 60 obstacles without feet, knees or legs.

They aren’t even allowed to have bad knees, they have NONE.

I have seen men and women with no arms and legs complete a spartan course.

Despite not having limbs they get to that finish line through obstacles most able bodied people refuse to even try.

They must believe in themselves. Fearless belief, that is enough to get them across finish lines most people with far more physical advantages won’t even stand at the start line of.

They are stars in a dark universe of non-believers, they never give up.

 

 

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” 

― William Faulkner

 

 

Do you have the courage to lose sight of your shore?

Leave the comfortable beach chair, with the cooler, the cold beer, the warm sun and venture off into that pencil thin line off in the distance between the sky and the ocean?

Do you dare to shut off your governor?

 

Governor: A device automatically regulating the supply of fuel, steam, or water to a machine, ensuring uniform motion or limiting speed.

 

If you choose to put a limit on you, the way you think, your physical capacity, it is well with your rights as a human. But just know outside the perimeter you see yourself is a another place. If you inch a little further out all you see is even more open space, an endless horizon of magic and wonder.

I speak from experience and observation. I have had the honor to exist in and around an ever expanding universe of people who seek to lose sight of their shore. It has inspired me and forced me further and further from land.

The only thing I believe now is that I have no idea what I am capable of.

I have no idea where my horizon line ends.

Trying has made me a believer. 

Trying has worked my belief muscles. 

Trying has made me stronger. 

By default I have become my biggest believer.

Sorry, Mom.