Reach

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How far can you reach?  For the stars?  "Reach for the Stars".... it's a common and sort of cliche phrase that we are all familiar with.   But do you?  Reach for the stars that is?

Sometimes, when we think of our goals, we actually talk ourselves out of reaching them.  Here is what happens...

We have a desire.
We visualize a goal.
We feel happy.
Then - something happens.  A result of conditioning from what appears to be a physical life with boxed limitations perhaps - stops us in our mental tracks.
A voice creeps in and says things like "Are you crazy?  You can't do that!  You can't have that! Where are you gonna get the money for that?  How are you gonna find the time to do that?  That's not for you!  You weren't born into it.  Just go to work and stop being a fool!"

And how often have we complied?   It's happened to all of us.  We reach high at first, and then we get nervous, thinking that it's too high, too far, it's unreachable, illogical, how could it possibly happen?  We're just kidding ourselves...
So we adjust our reach, lower the bar, lower the standards... we make our goal more "reasonable" and easier to attain. 

Then, we spend a whole lot of time "planning" on how to get there.  We make a list, we think about all the logistics, we write down ideas.... and on and on...  We spend a whole lot of energy 'planning' and very little 'doing'.    We spend a lot of time revving the engine in Neutral and not so much with our foot on the accelerator in Drive.

We've all been there.... but now that we realize it - we can change it.


I was recently watching American Idol (pause briefly for you to mentally make fun of me.....  and.... now back to the point...)


At the time I'm referring to, there were four contestants remaining.
One of them was telling the audience how he had set himself a goal to make it to the top three.  He wanted to be in the top three.
Okay.  Well the first thought in my mind was "top three?  that's your goal?  why not the top ONE?  why not have the goal to WIN?"   

Here's why - because he did not actually believe he could win.   At some point he thought about it, and then he talked himself out of it, no doubt heeding to the voice that was saying "are you nuts? you're not good enough!"  So he reeled it in and adjusted his goal to 'atleast' getting into the top three.

You may be wondering if he made it to the top three "at least"?  (unless you watch the show, then you know)

Well, he did not.   He was voted out that week.   Sad?  Maybe.  But he did it to himself.   Now, in my opinion, based on raw vocal talent I do not think he was better than the other contestants, but (and anyone who has watched this show knows this) it's not about that.   For this contest, another contest or anything at all in life.   It's not about the physical logistics of it.    He simply did not believe that it was possible.  He hoped that it was possible, he wanted it to be possible... but he did not simply and easily expect it to happen. 

You have to believe it so thoroughly that you expect it.  Just like you expect the water to run when you turn on the faucet.  You don't hope the water will run, you don't have positive thoughts about the water running... you just simply and very casually fully expect the water to run.

Maybe your thinking... "well this is bigger than water running from the faucet".   Is it?
No, my friends, it's not.   The grandiosity of any situation is entirely in our perspective and up to us.   The energy that flows through the universe knows nothing about size or complexity of goals.   Flipping a switch or winning the marathon takes the exact same "amount" of belief in yourself. 

The difference is - thanks to our conditioning in what appears to be a boxed world - we ourselves struggle to truly believe what will be.  But we do not live in a boxed world.  The box is self-inflicted.

Can you get there?

 
If only we had the faith of a mustard seed - we could move mountains!   Some of us reach to move the mountain, some of us reach for stone because that is easier for us to try to believe.  What is your mountain? 


How far is your reach?

Where do you want to be?







xoxo