It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Quote of the Week” post, but this one has been swirling around my head this week. So here we are with a quote of the week to give me and maybe someone else a kick in the butt: “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”
I love this quote because I think it’s so true and I never really thought about it this way.
Sometimes it’s easy to think that there’s something about you that is holding you back. But more often than not, it’s not something about you, it’s something you think you’re not.
Sometimes what keeps us from moving forward in life is that we think there are things that aren’t part of who we are. And this mentality holds us back. It feeds into limiting beliefs (see another post I wrote about it here).
Beliefs about yourself, your life, life in general, that are ingrained in us and keep us from doing something different, something more.
And maybe it’s just me, but I’m guessing it’s not, who has thought one of these things or something like them…
- I’m not a hustler.
- I’m not ambitious.
- I’m not a Type A person.
- I’m not sporty.
- I’m not an athlete.
- I’m not outgoing.
- I’m not organized.
And these thoughts keep us from really trying at exercise, really trying at a side hustle, really trying to branch out and do something new. Sinking back into “that’s not me” thinking protects us from risks, keeps us in our comfort zone. But it also holds us back.
Before I started exercising, it wasn’t anything about me that held me back; it was who I thought I wasn’t. I wasn’t an exercise person; I wasn’t sporty; I wasn’t an athlete; I wasn’t one of those people. But then I tried it and I came to love it and it changed my whole life. The most important way it changed my life is that I learned…
I can be anything I want.
Thinking about what you can’t do, about the kind of person you are not, causes paralysis. Just as you’re about to step forward and do something it holds you back, pulls you back. Because that action “isn’t who you are.”
But you are anything you want to be.
Want to be fit and feel strong? You’re an athlete.
Want to build your own business? Tell yourself you are a hustler.
Feel like you’re not meant for more than what you’re doing now? But really, deep down inside, want more? Tell yourself you’re ambitious. Tell yourself you’re a go-getter.
Think no one wants to hear what you have to say? Tell yourself you’re a leader. Tell yourself you are a light in this world.
Be whatever you want to be. Don’t let your dreams or goals be held back by what you’ve always believed, what you’ve been told, what you’ve done so far.
You are anything you want to be. Anything you tell yourself you are.
Go out there and be that…
…Wake up early and throw on an old exercise DVD
…Start an Etsy Shop
…Write the first page of a book
…Break out the dusty guitar
…Walk into your boss’s office and tell her your great idea
…Ask for a promotion
…Take a class
…Look in the classifieds
…Put out your resume
…Bring your granola to a farmers market
…Put up a flyer
Take action. Read stuff that makes you grow as a person. Find what makes you feel inspired. And go find it. Go do it. Go be it.
Find people who inspire you and get you and support you.
You are whoever you want to be.
Have you tried something out of your comfort zone? I’d love to hear about it! Comment here or reach out to me on Facebook.
P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for more inspirational quotes!
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