What is holding you back?

During the past week I had the opportunity to hear a number of fantastic speakers, two working together at a business event and the third, my brother who spoke to students at the local school.

 

As I listened to what they had to say, what struck me was a deep reminder that, irrespective of how many wonderful speakers we hear, how many motivational quotes we read, at the end of the day it will be our own choices that make the difference in our lives.

 

Those speakers knew that.

 

Of course they hoped that some of what they said resonated with those who listened. Hope they had given some kind of inspiration.

 

But they also knew that ultimately, the choice of what action to take – if any, would still be down to the individual.

 

Taking action is hard sometimes.

 

More often than not we know exactly what is needed to be done, but we can let past mistakes, or self-doubt or sometimes just even plain old excuses get in the way.

 

What’s important then is to be able to steer a way back to having a purpose.

 

To be able to work through all the quiet contemplation or anger or however that confusion manifests itself – to eventually putting yourself back in the position where you understand that you are responsible for your own choices.

 

You can choose the pursuit of excellence. You can choose a purpose that is so deeply ingrained in your spirit that obstacles are just things to be overcome.

 

If you know you really want something, then you need to ask yourself – what is holding you back?

 

And then you need to take action.

 

The more I processed all I heard this week, I came the realisation yet again that life is packed with potential, meant to be lived to the full – but I also understood that quality of life does not happen by mere chance.

 

The writer James Allen once wrote:

“They who have no central purpose in life fall easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles and self-pitying, all of which lead to failure, unhappiness and loss.”

 

While he also wrote: “Those who have conquered doubt, have conquered failure,” and by that I am certain he understood that those not afraid to fail, will always be prepared to step outside their comfort zone to take risks – they call failure learning, because they are always ready to dust themselves off and go again.

 

That’s because truly purpose driven people don’t fall prey to the same crippling thoughts.

 

Instead of carrying around self-doubt like a burden, they get in the habit of doing things they don’t like to do, in order to accomplish the purpose they have defined.

 

And at the end of the day, everything will come down to what you decide for yourself.

 

So, if you decide and write down what really matters for you.

If you spell it out for yourself – then you can start living beyond your limitations.

 

All you need to do is start with that one question – “What is holding me back?”

 

 

Unchained

 

It was only when I had cut loose,

broken the chains that held me

to yesterday.

 

That I saw freedom.

 

For a second, I paused.

 

Saw that I had let the past

grab me by the ankles,

until I dragged mountains

behind me with every step.

 

Then I walked. Bravely forward.

 

I had been shaped

by what had gone before,

but no longer was I

weighed down by those shackles.

 

There were ridges still

off in the distance.

 

But I would not drag rocks

behind me any more.

 

If my path took me there

I would climb them.

 

But even then,

only if they were in my way.

 

(Liam Porter 2016)

 

 

 

 

Lead a life that makes an impact…

I was at football with the U10s when I got the call. My mother was feeling unwell and was going to hospital. There was no need to panic though, she was in good form and was joking with the ambulance driver as she walked out of the house.

 

After the call I left the game immediately, went home, got changed and headed for the hospital. Less than an hour and a half had elapsed, yet by the time I had arrived, my mother has passed away.

 

All of this was ten years ago today and yet, I can recall it like yesterday, because nothing can ever prepare you for the sudden loss of somebody you love.

 

 

In the ten years that have followed, I hit lows that I never thought I would reach and somehow managed to find a way back.

 

Somewhere deep down, I’m certain that the influence my parents had on my life, played a significant role in making me understand that no matter how bad the storm is, it will always pass.

 

Over the past few years I have spent a long time thinking on how the lives we lead can influence others.

 

How, amidst all the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s important to be able to remember what’s really important.

 

To understand that we can flitter away the precious seconds, minutes, days we have on this earth trying to accumulate material wealth that we will ultimately have to leave behind – when true riches are to be found in understanding that the more we share, the more we have.

 

My mother was an unbelievably kind person.

 

Growing up I didn’t comprehend why she would give so much, to so many, when in my eyes, she had so little to give from.

 

I realise now that it wasn’t only that she gave what she had, but she also gave what she was and somehow then the spirit of kindness, that compassion that burned within her for others, proved more often than not, to be just the perfect amount.

 

Life is a bit like a good book, the further you get into it, the more you get a grasp of what’s unfolding around you.

 

As I remember both my parents today, after all these years it has dawned on me, that real success in life has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself – it is what you do for others that counts.