Aren’t we all! It would explain the extreme popularity of self-help books, guru’s and celebrities. If you are anything like me (and I suspect you are, or you wouldn’t be reading this), you have done your time trying to fit in and be who you are supposed to be. You have been a good girl (or boy) and read up on what is expected of you and done it, waiting with increasing frustration as nothing seems to happen. There you are, follow the rules and you aren’t getting anywhere. No wonder you are frustrated. This is not how it was supposed to be!
I know the feeling! Well! I spent literally years following the rules so that fellow diver (and current world record holder) Nuno Gomes would see that I was up for a world record of my own. I jumped every hoop, did whatever it took and never got anywhere. I got the world record I was looking for but only when stopped waiting to be chosen and started to work it out for myself. It was tough! I was alone (almost) and had to trust myself for the first time in well, probably forever. There was no-one else to hide behind, just me saying I can do this! I am going to do this! I walked away with two things, a strong sense of myself and courage.
If you are reading this feeling frustrated because you just can’t seem to get any further, wondering what else you can do because you have done everything, stop a moment and ask yourself if that is really true ? Have you done everything or have you just done everything you are supposed to ? Are you doing everything that keeps you safe and fitting in ? What would happen if you let go of waiting to be given permission and authority and started to follow your heart ?
There is no path for you to follow. You are not the person who walked the path you are trying to follow! You are unique! Which means what worked for them isn’t going to quite fit for you. You have to find your own path! You can’t follow, you have to explore!
You can do it! How do I know ? Because I did! I was in that place of waiting. I was literally petrified of everything and even more petrified of standing out and being visible. I was everything a world record holder is not! Courage ? I had none – I was so afraid of the dark that I couldn’t even walk from my garage to kitchen door at night. Stand up to an authority like Nuno and say I don’t care if you think I can’t, I think I can and I am going to prove it ??? Well, that took me over 5 years to achieve.
The only way forward is your way! Your job is to find it! First you have to imagine it is possible, then you need to imagine yourself actually doing it. If you are not sure where to start, follow your fear.
The path is there, go find it! Live with dare!