You Can Turn Limitations Into Possibilities

Have you noticed that you put yourself down when you don’t think you can do something? Have you noticed that you catch yourself saying that things are impossible? Have you noticed that there are certain limitations that you have that you don’t think any good can come out of? If you can say yes to any of these questions then you are so much like me. For years I have put myself down every chance I could get. For years I would say that there were things holding me back and that my issues were my biggest challenge. However, about 2 months ago when seeing a certain counselor I was told, “You are your own biggest enemy.” This stuck with me for about another two weeks after that not thinking much of it. Then I decided that counselor was right. For as long as I could remember I was letting others determine what I could and could not do. I was letting my own feelings stop me from doing the possible. I was letting all limitations that I had keep me from moving forward. I finally realized that I could turn my limitations into possibilities. You can do this too and I hope that my story and my advice today can help you to do so.

What are some ways that you can turn limitations into possibilities?

Limitations are just that, things that limit you. However, it is up to you to let them limit you or let yourself turn them into possibilities. Since as far back as I can remember, I thought my life could never change. I thought that I had to stay where I was at and that I had too many issues to overcome. I thought that I was doomed. This all may seem very lame thinking for some but this is truly how I felt. I came to realize that there were others out there who felt just as I did. After seeing that counselor who I talked about above, I realized I was done living that life. I was done being stuck. I was going to turn my limitations into possibilities, and I want others to be able to do the same.

First, you can make a list of the limitations that you believe you have. When you write things down you are seeing them right in front of you. You are able to work from this list and make more progress. Oftentimes, when people just think about things they may forget or leave things out. If you have a list of the limitations that you believe you have then you can add to it and take notes when needed. This list is going to be your starting point. Some of the limitations I believe I had were my addiction (I was and still am in recovery) and my people-pleasing tendencies (I absolutely hate to tell people no).

Secondly, you can start with one of the limitations that you believe you have and think about how it has affected you in the past (writing this down again can help). My first limitation that I chose was that I really hated to tell people no. I was too much of a people-pleaser and I always had been since I was a little child. My next step was to write how this affected my life .When anyone asked me for anything I just said yes so they didn’t get mad and so that I could be the good one. The problem is this hurt me in many ways. People began to take advantage of me and they knew if they would guilt trip me I would give in in the matter of seconds. They used my limitation for their benefit and I decided I wouldn’t stand for this anymore.

Third, decide how you can turn your limitation into a possibility. I had decided that I would turn my people-pleasing tendencies into a good thing. I figured out, after much thinking, that I just wanted to help people. This didn’t mean I had to tell everyone yes. I just didn’t feel as if I had a purpose in my life. I started to volunteer places and help others work through issues they had. This has made me feel much better and I was even able to start telling people no without feeling so bad.

Your limitation doesn’t have to stay at that. You can change it into a possibility. As you can see I went from not being able to tell anyone no to volunteering and helping others. This was something that I never thought was possible but it surely is. Make your limitations possibilities and see your life transform.