Phase 1 Day 4: Barriers? What barriers? 

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Michelangelo was once asked how he sculpted something as wonderful and lifelike as his “David” and he said, “I simply carved away everything that wasn't David and there he was".

I believe that being a Life Athlete is a similar undertaking. You are there in your greatness and there are some things in the way. We have to remove the things that aren’t true to our authentic selves in order to be truly free.


Judgements, self doubts, negative emotions, limiting decisions and excuses are all extraneous to the task at hand; getting the most out of the experience of being a human being as possible.

It might seem like we’re focussing on the negative, and in a way we are. Before we move forward we have to look at why we haven’t already.

There are three categories that you might fall in:

Things might be going great and you just want to keep that momentum moving and get to the next stage. You know what you want and are on your way. 

OR 
 
You’ve had your sights set on something for a while and yet you’ve never quite made the leap. Something’s always come up and the dream remains a dream. 

OR

You have NO IDEA what you want in this area but you know that you don’t like what you have. 


I’ve been in all of them and am in at least two currently. Today’s post is especially  for people in the second and third categories. 

“I like everything about everything right now and don’t want anything to change” isn’t really a category as there’s no pause button on life and if we’re not moving forward atrophy kicks in. You don’t have to overhaul anything but looking at what’s next is necessary. 

So, what’s in the way? 

It might look like this:
I’ve always wanted to X but haven’t because Y. 

Someone once told me “in life you can have what you want or the reasons why not... they’re not the same thing.” Making our reasons more important than the things we want in life is a low way to live.

“I’d start a business but I’m...” too young, too old, too smart, not smart enough, I don’t have enough money, energy, time, patience, experience... the list is wide and varied. People have thought of pretty much every possible variation. You are not alone here. 

These barriers can take many shapes and forms and I’m not suggesting that you necessarily remove them now... only that you notice them, and write them down. 

What are the thoughts that hold you back? Are there people who you put the responsibility on? “I’d do ‘Z’ but my ’Q’ thinks that’s ‘W’. 

What “truths” about yourself stop you? We’ve all made up all sorts of silliness regarding what IS that just isn’t. The number of people who when you dig a little have some version of “I’m not lovable” kicking around inside of them is enough to make you weep! 

Do you think that you can’t be fit because of your genetics and so you eat badly and barely move your body? Tell the truth here! 

A note on this... take responsibility here! 

Don’t say “I’d be living my dream if not for my mother.” Say instead “I blame my mother for why I’M not living MY dream.” 

You’re a powerful, beautiful, work of art. It’s time to chip away and brush off all that other crap.


Daily challenge:


-Look at all of the areas that you said weren’t working from yesterday’s challenge as well as any other areas where you’ve felt blocked. 

-Write a list of the areas and the blocks you have in each. 

-Check the list to make sure you’ve taken full responsibility and ownership of every single block on your list. 
-Ask yourself if now is the moment that you finally move past.