Be, all that you can be...

We've all heard that one..."be, all that you can be..." But have we really listened hard to what that old ad jingle is saying?(no, I am not referring to the army here!) That little tune got stuck in my head the other day. It would not budge. Hmm...could it be a coincidence that I was, at the very same time, struggling with feeling stuck at work? Funny how that can happen. Something in our subconscious pops up to the surface almost as if to say "wake up! nudge, nudge...time to get moving".

I have been listening to some great motivational tapes while working out. I figure these speakers will keep me on the bike. How could I stop when they are basically pointing out left and right why we don't achieve our goals and then pushing me to do something different to find success! The more they talk about being focused and really needing to move outside of our comfort zone, the faster I pedal! I have actually had some enlightening moments down in my exercise room. One such moment was when I realized that there is virtually no one holding me back in my job but me. Imagine that! Why would I want to do that? But,there I was....feeling stuck...and then discovering that in fact, I was the one holding myself hostage. I had a partner in crime along with for the ride, and his name is fear.

How many times have we found ourselves telling our children "you can become whatever you want" or "you can do it"? Being the cheerleader and bolstering their self esteem is one of our favorite activities, isnt' it? But how many times do we actually take that advice to heart? That night at dinner, I found myself telling my children how I had been feeling stuck. They of course, asked me "why?". Sharing the truth with them, and allowing all of us to rediscover the need to push beyond our fears or areas of weakness, was invaluable. After all, how can I ask them to do what I am not willing to do as well?

by Mary Pieper
9:25:00 PM