We Want To Hear From You

 Our April Feature Contributing Writer is NAMIC Carolinas member Jamie Bell. Jamie shares with us some sage advice and perspective around setting our intentions and finding the will and drive to rise above and beyond our failures, setbacks and limitations in order to realize our dreams and our best selves. Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your voice, and helping us to become unstuck! 

What has you stuck? Is it your career? Is it your finances? Is it your relationships? I am going to ask you this a few times throughout this message but let me start with a quick story.  

One day a man was passing some elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.  

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. Well, the trainer said, “When they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”  

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.  

So, what has you stuck? What is your small rope? When did you stop believing? Let’s face it. We all make mistakes. Most of us know that failure is a reality of life, and at some level, we understand that it actually helps us grow. Intellectually, we even acknowledge that the greatest achievers -- past and present -- also routinely experienced colossal failures. But still, we hate to fail. We fear it, we dread it, and when it does happen, we hold onto it.   

We give it power over our emotions, and sometimes we allow it to dictate our way forward (or backward). Some of us go to great lengths to avoid failure because of all the pain and shame associated with it. Why is it so hard to let go, forgive ourselves and move on? And how can we keep failure – or the fear of it -- from derailing us? 

Here is how we start. Don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing what you want to achieve. Including yourself. Life will test you to see how serious you are about pursing a particular path. Sooner or later you will face negative feedback. Don’t allow anyone to crush your dream. Let nothing hold you back from creating the life you’ve always wanted.  

Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome. Allow yourself time to realize your dreams are bigger than your limitations. 

Strength doesn’t come from things you can do, but it comes from overcoming all the things you once thought you couldn’t do! I believe you are incredibly strong and you are about to breakthrough your rope today! The strongest factor for success is self-esteem. Believing you can do it, believing you deserve it and believing you’ll get it!  

So, what has you stuck? After today, one less thing! Be free from the ropes of past failures and step into tomorrow’s success! You got this! Take the step!