We argue for many things.
Our freedom. Our human rights, especially if they seem to be threatened. Affordable healthcare for all.
We argue against many things.
Donald Trump. His administration. Politicians. Members of Congress who do nothing for their constituents. Bigots and homophobes and all-around haters.
We see arguments happening everywhere these days.
But the one thing you don’t have to argue for anymore is your limitations.
What if there simply were none, except for that persistent story you keep telling yourself that says there is.
And there’s a reason why you do that.
Limiting yourself is a great way to stay stuck. Although you say you don’t want to be stuck, you really do. (Or rather, your ego wants you to.)
Limiting yourself is a great way to rationalize why things aren’t going the way you’d like them to be going. Obviously you want them to go a different way. But do you?
Limiting yourself is a great way to confirm your incorrect beliefs about yourself that say you’re undeserving, or not that special, or untalented.
Stop fighting for them. Stop giving energy to the very thing that’s holding you back but you like to use as your excuse for moving forward.
As writer Richard Bach says, “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they’re yours.”
So what could you be arguing for? How about immigrant rights, clean air and water laws not being revoked, term-limits for members of Congress, clean-energy expansion, the suspension of the Dakota Access Pipeline, KellyAnne Conway having her own sitcom. In Russia.
The more I talk about things not working in my life, the more I limit myself by defining things in ways that probably are working but I refuse to acknowledge because they don’t look the way I think they’re supposed to look.
We all have access to the things we need that we instead say limitations are preventing us from experiencing. We can ask for help, or for money; we can lean on our friends, call a contact and explore the possibility of collaboration. We have insights about our lives almost daily that give us access to new ideas. We can write our own script, create our own play, make our own project. We can break through our fears, stop being so negative, start feeling our feelings, get more honest.
When you take responsibility for your life ”“ and stop using other people or circumstances as excuses to attempt, try, fail, succeed, give it your best shot, and just plain have fun being you ”“ you start getting a lot more free and a lot more happy.
And you see that limitations are really just those that you keep defending.
If, in 2006, Mark Inglis, a then-middle aged New Zealand mountain climber, could climb his way to the summit of Mt. Everest . . . so can you.
Zero limitations.
Oh, and by the way, Mr. Inglis has no legs.
Looking to start your acting journey? Sign up for acting classes and workshops at an AMAW near you or online.