Who Is Holding You Back?

Photo by Konstantin MIshchenko

Let us talk about something. What is that? Let us go to somewhere really quiet, where no one is going to disturb us, then I will tell you what I have for you. Ok, let’s go.

Now that we are here, I think it is time to talk about what you are going to do to move your life forward. Or are you okay with the way things are going with you right now? Are you happy with your life? Are you happy with your work? Are you happy with yourself? If not, then what are you going to do about it?

What do you want to do with your time? Do you want to pursue something that you will be proud of in the future? Or you do not know what you want to do? Do you? If you do not know, do not beat yourself up. It is okay. Let me ask you again, do you really know what you want to do with your life?

Yes, I do. What is it that you really want to spend the rest of your life doing? Whatever it is that you want to do, this is the right time to get into it. Do not wait anymore. There is no time. No time. If you are still waiting for the right time, guess what? The right time will never come.

Or are you scared of getting started? If you are scared of something, what is that you are scared of? Are you scared of rejection? Is it the fear of failure? Is it the fear of embarrassment? Is it the fear of change? Is it the fear of the unknown? Or are you dealing with other issues that you do not want to tell the world?

C’mon, if you can’t talk about what is bothering you right now, then when are you going to talk about it? Today is the right day to change yourself. When it comes to you, your life, what you want for yourself, today is the best day to start. When it comes to taking action, now is the right time to take it. Actions like now. Actions don’t believe in tomorrow. Now is better than tomorrow.

Do not postpone your life. Whatever you want to do to change yourself, start it today. Stop postponing things. Because things postponed are things lost. They will never come. And you will never get the time to do them. If it is possible for you to do something today, why not do it?

Why postpone something if you can do it today? From now on, stop moving things forward. Do not give in to doubt. Do not let doubt hold you back. Do not let insecurity hold you back. Do not let anything hold you back. And do not hold yourself back. Yes, my friend, it is possible to hold ourselves back. For eaxmple, if you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing to improve yourself, then you are holding yourself back.

Don’t forget that other people can hold you back, too. Do not let other people hold you back. Yes, they can. If you want to succeed in your life, do NOT surround yourself with doubters. They will never be for you. They will always be against your dreams.

Look, the fastest way to grow is to surround yourself with people who are cheering you up, who are for you, who are not afraid to tell you where you need to improve. When you are around people who are getting things done, they will motivate you to start getting things done. They will challenge you to start doing something for yourself. Most importantly, when you are down, they will help you get back up. They will provide the resources that you need to get back up.

Because they know what it means to be down, to fall, to fail. They know. They have been there. And they know what you are going through, even if you do not tell them. And they know what to do to get you back up. Isn’t that wonderful?

Why Not Now?

Photo by Kelly L

Why not now? To learn, to grow, to change what you do not like about yourself, to meet positive people, to change the direction of your life, to stop beating yourself up, to stop talking badly about yourself, your life, to start loving yourself, your work, your relationships, to start doing what used to scare you, to start challenging yourself, to stop believing in the negative voices in your head, to start living your own life, to start doing things on your own terms, to start facing your fears, to stop comparing yourself to other people, the time is now. You can start right now, right where you are. You can start doing new things right now. You can start living again. You can start loving again. You can start feeling good about yourself again. Why? Because there is no special time to start anything. There is no special time to live your life.

To live well, to enjoy your life, you must live well every day. Yes, every day. Do not postpone your life. Do not postpone your living. If you can’t live now, when are you going to do it? Do not postpone your happiness. Make yourself happy every day. Do not postpone treating yourself with love, with respect, and with dignity. Do not do it. Because you do not know if you are going to be here tomorrow. That is why you should always live your life every day. Live it fully.

According to Og Mandino, “Live your life as if today is your last day.” Is that what you are doing? Are you living your life to your own fullest? Are you loving yourself? Are you making yourself happy? Are you facing your fears? Are you pursuing your dreams? Are you loving people? Are you treating yourself with love? If not, ask yourself, “Why am I not treating myself with love? What am I afraid of?” Be honest.

If you are not comfortable with your answers, then change how you treat yourself. Change it. If you do not change it, no one is going to do it for you. Or it will change you. Remember, you are not living for other people; you are living for yourself. You are in the game for yourself. You are doing what you are doing for yourself. Always self first.

If you do not like what you are doing to yourself, then change it. If not, you are not going to be happy with yourself. Do not forget that happiness is very important. So, if you are not happy with yourself, ask yourself why? Because a life without happiness is boring, is nasty. Living a happyless life is like living in hell. I have not been there, but I know for a fact that living in hell is nasty.

Yes, there are issues everywhere. But do not let them get into you. You are your own healer when everything is working against you, when the world is against you, when the people you trust are against you. You are the driver of your own life. You are the master when it comes to taking over your life. You are the boss when it comes to creating the direction of your life. No one, but you. Do not forget that.

And also do not forget that you are your own destiny. Whatever you are doing right now is creating your future. You are responsible for your life, for your care, for your future, for your failures, and for your destiny. You are. Not me.

Do not wait for anyone out there to come and take responsibility for your own mess, for what you have done to yourself. It won’t happen. Unless you do not know what you want for yourself. Unless you are done with life. Unless you are no longer interested in your dreams. If you are, then clean up your mess. Take responsibility for your life. Hold yourself accountable for your life.

There is more to life than you think. There is more to life than you are getting right now. Do not let where you are right now decide where you are going. Do not let your present condition decide your future. Because, with hard work, with focus, with determination, your future is going to be better than today.

Do not give in to fear. Follow your dreams. Do whatever is necessary to make it happen. Do not forget that without work, dreams are useless. Action brings things to life.

Trust people, believe in people, but do not wait for them to make your dreams come true. You are responsible for making your dreams come true. Because they are your seeds. Do not let them die. Nurture them. Do not depend on people. If you do, they are going to disappoint you. Period. Why? Because you are the only person on this planet who will take you seriously, who will take your dreams seriously, who will take your life seriously. Whatever you want, go for it!