You Have No Idea What You Are Capable Of

Words have the power to jolt us out of the reality we have created for ourselves and wake us up to the truth. Case in point, I was watching The Shannara Chronicles the other night when something one of the characters said struck a nerve for me. If you haven't heard of The Shannara Chronicles yet you need to go check it out! It's a great new fantasy drama t.v. series on MTV (or Netflix in my case) based on the Shannara series of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks.

The wise druid said to the frightened young seer: "Nobody knows what you are capable of. Not even you."

I was stunned by these words. I felt like the wise druid's words were meant for me. I tuned out from the show for a minute. I couldn't stop thinking about his words. I repeated them over and over in my mind. I can clearly see the profound truth in his words and I have to admit his wise words are setting me free from my limited self thinking. At least for a little while. (Those negative thoughts always find a way to creep back in!)

I do not know what I am capable of.

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I know I am not the only person who is guilty of listening to limiting self beliefs. I'm constantly telling myself that I'm not good enough, smart enough, powerful enough to do the things I dream of doing. My ego is probably trying to keep me safe by scaring me away from trying new things but it's really only hurting me by holding me back, keeping me from reaching my potential and stifling my creative nature.

Any time I've ever opened up and tried something new in life I've surprised myself. I went to college, got a B.A., an MBA and then took the CPA exams and passed them all on the first try. But I didn't do any of those things until my thirties because I scared myself out of doing it for so long. What would my life look like today if I had believed I could do it all earlier?

I was never the outdoorsy type until I moved to Hawaii and became friends with rock climbers. I finally decided to try rock climbing one day and instantly became obsessed with it! It was so fun! Sure, it was challenging but it was also incredibly rewarding. Climbing slowly but surely up a rock mountain, getting stronger and better and climbing harder and harder routes. Reaching the top of a route and looking down to see just how far you've come is one of the best feelings! Who knew I would love rock climbing so much? I wish I had discovered this sport much earlier in life!

For a long, long time I told myself that I wasn't good enough for love and romance. Until one day I finally decided that I was good enough and I started asking the universe to send me my true love. I wished, prayed and envisioned my true love every day for months. And then one day I met my future husband. Something magical occurred between us the first time we met. There was a spark, a recognition of a soul mate, a bond that grew and grew. What if I had believed I was good enough for love earlier in my life?

I always wanted to be a writer but I never actually tried to write an entire novel because it seemed too hard. I gave up time and time again. Until I had reached such a low point in my life in my late thirties that writing was the only way I could think of to start the healing process. I promised myself that I could and would finish my novel. It took several years but I never gave up and the result, Naupaka Blooming, was just published in April. Oh how I wish I had believed in myself earlier.

Lately I have been struggling with continuing to pursue my writing dreams. I have many ideas for novels, ideas that excite me! And I've started writing my next novel but I'm remembering that writing is truly hard work. It's no easier the second time around than it was the first time! I find myself questioning my abilities again.

But the wise druid words continue to repeat in my mind now.

I do not know what I am capable of. But I want to find out!

Since the night I heard his words, I've been able to envision new and exciting plot twists in my current work in progress and I've even come up with a whole new novel idea that I'm excited to tackle. The creative juices flow when I believe in myself.

So it's time to keep going, to do the work (one day at a time, one sentence at a time if that's what it takes!) and stop listening to my limiting self beliefs.

The sky's the limit for each one of us! You are the only one holding yourself back. Stop making up excuses. Open your mind, believe in yourself, push yourself and do the hard work to make your dreams come true. You have no idea what you are capable of!

What limiting self beliefs do you have about yourself?