Are we being held down by our limitations?

Being aware of our limitations is a great first step to becoming free of the things that prevent us from going further in life.

I think many of us feel the same way. The older we get, the more we feel the limitations that confine us, obstructing us from achieving our goals, like we’ve never felt before when we were kids. Rosa Luxemburg quite rightly said, “Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” In the same way, as we grow older, we move further and further away from our comfort zones into the unknown, it is only natural that we feel our limitations along the way. As we grow, as we move, as we take on the challenges in life, we will feel the things that limit our abilities and choices.

We are all born and raised within the belief framework that the society we belong to and our parents created for us. On the positive side, these frameworks are necessary for us when we were just kids with limited knowledge and resources of our own. During that period of life, the frameworks serve as protective walls keeping us on the right track or a compass leading us on the safe roads. These belief frameworks can be cultures and values that are perpetrated onto us through society, education, or religion. Beliefs such as successful education must only be conducted according to the conventional educational stage (kindergarten, primary, secondary, and tertiary/university level), or that some subjects in schools are more preferable to pursue because they are more likely to result in a career that generate good income, or the equally popular belief that a successful life are ones that go along the sequential path of graduation, work, marry, and have kids. In all honesty, these won’t be a problem at all if we feel comfortable with it. Issues arise when we feel that we no longer fit in those frameworks. That’s when they become our confinement, our limitations. Today I humbly invite you to ask yourself, are you truly free to make choices in life? If you feel that the path you’re pursuing isn’t for you, do you have the liberty to change it?

Apart from the limitations imposed upon us by others and the society, often times we self-impose them upon ourselves. If we become too used to it, we can mistake confinement with comfort. We might even start telling ourselves unproductive things like, I’m too old, my time has passed, I have to set my aspirations aside because I have a family to look after, I’m too stupid for this, I cannot win, women cannot excel in this line of work, etc. These negative self-talks are limitations we imposed upon ourselves that prevent us from going outside the box and will lead to missed opportunities for growth and progress. Again, I invite you to reflect, do you also do this to yourself?

One thing we should always remind ourselves is that the only way limitations can limit us is if we accept it, empower it, and surrender to it. If you want to rid yourself of the unnecessary limitations, you should begin by first realising that “You have more authority over your own life than you think” and ask yourself “What do you really want?” that’s really your desire and not what others convinced you to believe to be best for you, and finally, “What’s preventing you from achieving that goal?” When you have the answers to these questions, you’re on the right path to becoming free from the invisible chains that are holding you down. You have taken the first step.

Today is a good day to take action!!!

Many of us set conditions for when to take action. For example, when this happens, I’ll do this. If someone comes with me, I’ll go to the gym. If my parents support me, I’ll go study abroad. The list goes on. If we wait for all the conditions to fulfil before we do anything, nothing will ever be done. Imagine if you need to commute to work, do you wait for all the lights on the road to be green in order to leave the house? No! You leave the house, you get in the car, you turn the engine on, and you drive. If, unfortunately, the traffic happens to be bad, you’ll deal with it. You play by ear. If you play the waiting game without ever moving yourself to the car, you won’t be going anywhere.

Limitations exist at differing extent for everyone, both imposed upon us by the society and ourselves. When they’ve become too tight for comfort, we do not need to surrender to it. We do not need to accept it. Of course, it is likely that you won’t succeed on your first try, but give yourself a chance by begin taking back control over small things in life and expand the perimeter. Don’t let limitations become your life’s permanent obstacle.