What burden are you carrying – and how is it keeping you stuck?
There’s a powerful quote I’ve had on my bulletin board for years, and it’s not only a favorite, it’s a guiding principle in my life:
“Your playing small does not serve the world”
– Marianne Williamson
Playing big is about connecting with something larger. What would playing big look like to you? Would you write that book, start a business, run a marathon?
Thinking and acting bigger can feel overwhelming, especially when keeping up with day-to-day tasks is daunting enough. There have been times when I resisted playing a bigger game; it was more comfortable and safe to stay exactly where I was. But there’s a nagging restlessness that comes with ‘comfortable and safe’. This feeling of restlessness is telling you that you are capable of something more. And that’s hard to ignore.
Thomas Leonard (often called the grandfather of coaching) used an analogy that really stuck with me. He said (and I’m paraphrasing here) each of us is like a hot air balloon. But in order to reach great heights, we need to clip the tethers that are holding us in place. Fear is an obvious tether, and that’s something I’ve touched on in many of my blog posts.
But there’s something more; actually, it would be more accurate to say there’s something less. There are things we need to let go of because they are holding us down. And in the absence of these things, we free ourselves to play a bigger game:
Some Burdens That May be Keeping You Stuck:
- Distractions
- Too many commitments
- Over complicating our lives
- Not setting boundaries
By becoming aware of what’s holding us down, we can begin to clip those tethers and move towards living a more inspired life. If you’re ready to raise the bar on your life, I invite you to look at the list above and choose one or two burdens to let go of each week for the next month. Each step will take you closer to greatness.
We spend years trying to discover our purpose, when really, our only purpose is to simply be great – and develop that greatness to add value.
What burden will you commit to eliminating this week? Please share in the comments section below so we can support each other.
Discovery. Fear of what has been temporarily put away.
Distractions! I see moms frantically driving their kids everywhere and not paying attention to their driving skills, a person who might be walking behind them as they are quickly backing out of their driveways, etc. Most of these moms don’t look very calm and happy, BTW.
I am going to start with distractions. This feels like a reasonable and sensible start that is a little uncomfortable.
For me, it’s fear of failure. Becoming more confident in myself has been a lifelong struggle. I have had some failures and have make some mistakes, and as I get older, fear of more mistakes keeps me from trying again. It’s so frustrating. I would love to become a photographer, but the fear of failing or making a fool of myself keeps me from even exploring how to get started…..
Just a thought for you, Marie — are you afraid of failure, or perhaps of success? If you became a successful photographer (however you define that yourself), perhaps that would mean living your life big, and I believe that scares lots of folks, including myself. Take good care!
My office was more than a disaster! Hubby and I married and did not purge prior to moving in together. Problems with the ex-wife & kids caused great frustration, etc. and deterred the office situation even further.
Too many commitments came from trying not to make relatives/friends mad, upset or disappointed by saying no which also over complicated my life and reduced the boundaries I had set. I am now saying no, especially to my mother which would call me 3-15 times per day even when I would tell her I was at work and couldn’t speak. I haven’t spoken to her since 12/12/13 and have accomplished SO much. I love her, but she was taking over my life (and I am married). Also, my thyroid was an issue and I began to be unable to “process” simple tasks. The office is manageable now and Life IS good.
I came across a famous person’s quote. Perhaps, if we all follow the philosophy, we could all accomplish that “bigger” thing …
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” … Sir Winston Churchill
I’m amazed that I feel all the burdens contribute, not one more than the other.
Distractions, check, yup got lots of those. Too many commitments, check, ya the kids take care of that, and the work place does that too with workshops, and meetings. Over complicating our lives, check, worrying over the failure aspect since I’m thinking one day to retire, and not working till I can’t, sometimes it’s about the $$$ needed to start up. Not setting boundaries, check, sometimes yes my boundaries are invaded more than not.
One of my problems is not on the list, and it’s coming up with ideas. The other is distractions.
I’m trying to write a second book but my mind is not organized and it lacks ideas because when I start to work on it, my brain starts to jumble! I’m like, “what should i write about on this chapter… How do I do this… Does it sound better this way… What should i do!!! I don’t know how to start it!!”
That is my current problem. 🙁
Perfectionism is my lifelong burden. Everything takes a long time to do in order to make it perfect. A to-do list that is way too long paralyzes me so that I don’t even know where to start. Far too many commitments with a 40+ hour per week job, 2 kids in lots of activities, trying to run all aspects of the house, lots of travel.
I really like Yolanda’s reply. When I am face with an overwhelming task I sometimes think I could not do it. However, if I tell myself to just do it and continue on, I found myself accomplishing the task. Perseverance really is the key.