The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago....the second best time is NOW!
Chinese Proverb

How do you know when you're being your best? How do any of us ever really know what we're truly capable of....... or where our real limits lie? It's probably fairly safe to say that the vast majority of us rarely, if ever, get to find out. It's often only when we are pushed to our limits that we get to go beyond what we previously thought possible and discover the full extent of our personal power, our capabilities and our resources.

You may have witnessed recently the antics of a number of celebrities in the Australian jungle! And even those of you who deny watching will at least be aware of this popular TV show. On one level it may well be just an entertainment programme designed to win viewers, yet at the same time, a number of people have been courageously facing their own fears, overcoming grim challenges and harnessing their inner strength to achieve things they didnt believe they could. And more terrifyingly, the recent film Touching the Void recounts an extraordinary struggle for survival when Jo Simpson, a mountaineer, was left for dead on a remote mountain in the Peruvian Andes.

Whilst some of us may be called upon to rise to the challenge and be outstanding on occasions most of us won't have to experience such extreme ordeals. And many of us might never get to appreciate just how much we're capable of as we continue to 'get by' or even worse 'hold back' in life.

So why wait for a crisis before pulling out all the stops? Why not explore right now what you're really capable of and how much more you can achieve?

The one thing that stops most of us is Fear. Call it stress, anxiety, caution if you will...but ultimately it comes down to fear. That's what causes us to put our foot on the brake rather than accelerating forward and having the drive of our life. And when we allow our decisions, choices and lives to be shaped by our fears we never get to experience what's really possible.

Do you think Jo Simpson wasn't fearful when he believed he'd been abandoned and left to die? Actually he admits to being terrified yet somehow was able to summon an inner strength he never knew he had and keep on going. And did those celebrities really relish sticking their heads into tanks of cockroaches, rats and more.......maybe not, but whatever their motivation, they were prepared to go beyond and put their fears behind them.

Fear is what paralyses us and forces us into inaction or taking the safe option. Whether it's fear of getting it wrong, fear of failure, fear of looking foolish, fear of rejection or even fear of success...it holds us back. And yet fear is just an emotion, which all too frequently is about an event that hasn't happened yet and probably never will! So instead of waiting for a crisis, or being buried alive with rats and snakes, use the following steps to help let go of your fears and achieve what you're truly capable of! No more excuses!

Beat your Fears

Think of an area of your life where you'd like to achieve more, or be more fulfilled. Now use the following steps to help expand your own limits and discover how much more is possible.

Check how real the threat really is......and remember, it may never happen!

Have courage to take action in spite of your fear.

Implement steps to minimise the risk or the impact e.g. make a contingency plan or prepare in advance

End outcome - keep focused on the end in mind and make it something worth aiming for.

Visualise yourself having already achieved what you want. See, hear and feel what it's like.

Execute - take your foot off the brake, take action and drive forward.

And......remember to enjoy the ride!

"Let go of your fears, make space for your dreams"

Wishing you lots of success!

Denise