Breaking away from the pack, rising above the norm, living a life of excellence…in a world of “don’t rock the boat” complacency, acting in a manner that sets you apart can certainly draw the fire of critics.

Yep! I struggle with this one! And while I do fear the critics (keeping it honest here), the one I unfortunately heed the most is myself.

“Our sense of certainty about who we are creates the boundaries and limits within which we live.”
(Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within, p. 413)

Sometimes I can be pretty opinionated over what I believe about myself and what I can do. Okay, “pretty opinionated” is a little tame. How about TONS opinionated?

When I returned from my trip to the future (see Handling Discouragement: Developing a Passion), I shared that listening to my own “opinions” about what others thought was one of the biggest challenges on my way to success.

This drive to be consistent with who I believe I am can be pretty powerful. I know that whenever I venture away from those core beliefs, not only do I feel uncertain, I feel pretty dang anxious.

“…changing ourselves - changing the essence of who we are - is perceived by most to be impossible. The common response , ‘I’m just this way,’ is a phrase that murders dreams. It carries with it the sentence of an unchangeable and permanent problem.”

(Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within, p. 415)

But here’s the rub: it’s either change addresses or live a mediocre, unfulfilled, dispassionate life. Hmmmm…let me think that one over… Okay! Let’s pack it up!

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