Do you feel stuck right now? Frustrated? If so, let me ask you a question or two:
- What are the biggest growth obstacles are holding you back in your life right now?
- Who are the biggest growth obstacles holding you back?
I want to guess that you thought of people in your life that you believe are holding you back or problems that you wish you could control.
I did the same thing. Then this happened: I was meeting with a mentor and talking through a growth issue I am having. I kept bringing up other people and circumstances that I thought they were holding me back.
He asked me, “Is this really about them or is it about you?”
At first I was a little offended, thinking, “Of course it’s about them!” As I we talked and I reflected, I realized that the issue wasn’t the people or the circumstances. The issue was the way I was responding to the people and issues. I was discovered that the obstacle in this case is case was me!
In fact, the reality is that biggest obstacle we will ever face in our lives is ourself.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best when he said: “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month!”
My mentor encouraged me to break the current unhealthy pattern that I had developed in my life and create a new pattern. A healthier pattern. He then quoted me the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Often, we can’t change or control the people or things we think are holding us back. However, we can change and control the largest obstacle in our way, ourselves.
Action steps:
- Really evaluate the obstacles you’re dealing with in your life. . . Are they really about other people or circumstances or are they really about you and the way you handle them?
- Determine what is in your control and what is out of your control. Focus on what is within your control!
Thoughts? Leave a comment below!
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