“There is more to you than you know. If you can be made to see that, perhaps for the rest of your life you will be unwilling to settle for less.”
I came across these words by Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound, an adventure program that stretches the limits of your trust, risk-taking and self-confidence through outdoor activities such as whitewater rafting, rappelling and other adventures. Through his programs, people experienced that something inside that allowed them to be, do and have more than they had known was possible for them.
Typically, we play it safe, don’t we? We operate in the realm of the known where we can calculate outcomes and work within our routine, limiting ourselves and diminishing our dreams.
As I read Kurt’s words, I remembered a networking luncheon I had recently attended where a thought-provoking question was posed to the audience; it was: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” That question sent my mind reeling. I felt excited, energized, renewed and ready to go for my goals with a revived gusto. I sensed a reconnection with hope and possibility that had been dulled in my fear and procrastination about getting started.
What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail? Would you ask for that raise you know you deserve? Go for a promotion? Make a career change? Start your own business? Go to college or finish your degree? Double — or triple — your income? Buy a new home? Try sky diving or scuba? Start a diet or exercise plan? Make your happiness a priority? Imagine a No-Failure Zone, where everything you do is just a step along the path and a part of the journey; a place where, no matter how hard you try to criticize or make yourself wrong, you succeed anyway, and where everything that happens is simply a part of your success. Reframing your perception, you could move into this zone where you think differently and focus on possibility instead of limitation.
It takes courage to step out of the familiar and be willing to try something new. Fear keeps most people from ever getting started. Not seeing “how” holds most people back from taking the first step. What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail? Why not get started now and see what is possible for you.
• Catch the vision — Dream about what you want to see in your life.
• Get focused — Think about what you want and focus on the steps that will take you to the dream you desire.
• Commit to take action — Go for it! Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” She understood the power of getting into action, of creating momentum to propel you forward as you step out in faith.
Contact me to schedule your private Discovery session and make 2013 your year of being in the No Failure Zone!
Pat Morgan, MBA and professional coach, works with busy professionals to help them become more profitable and productive by capitalizing on their strengths and taking focused action to create powerful change. Call her at 305-458-2849, email coachpatmorgan@gmail.com or visit her website at www.SmoothSailingSuccess.com
