Two Obstacles to Greatness

I define greatness as the highest good you are capable of achieving. It is living into the fullness of the potential within you.

But greatness is not just about doing big things for the sake of doing big things. No, the responsibility of greatness is not simply about you. It is about realizing that you have a part to play in the bigger story unfolding around you.

Whether you are a mom or the CEO of your company, there are people that you are uniquely meant to influence and your greatness is ultimately about THAT influence.

Greatness isn’t about having a title or achieving success the way society defines success. It is about leveraging your unique influence in ways that positively impact the people around you.

The faster you reach your potential, the sooner others around you can reach theirs and it is the ripple effect of each of us rising into our greatness that WILL change our world.

We all have a part to play in this story but I’ve noticed that we have a natural propensity for standing in our own way. There are several ways this shows up but today I want to talk about two subtle obstacles to greatness that I’ve discovered in my work.

Self-doubt

Most people think greatness comes from outside of you but the truth is greatness starts from within and the belief that you are not good enough to do what is in your heart to do is a huge obstacle to your greatness.

You make excuses for why you can’t do it – not having enough time, money or connections – but really what it boils down to is a lack of believing in yourself and in your dreams.

You doubt your value; comparing yourself to other people you decide that everyone else is better. So you either try to become like someone else or you shrink back and hide, all the while robbing the world not just of your gifts and talents but also most importantly of your beautiful essence.

We lose when you doubt yourself.

Other people’s expectations

I believe this in one of the most dangerous obstacles to greatness. Well meaning people cast a vision for you of who they believe you can become and, not wanting to let those people down, you chase that vision without checking in to know if it’s what you really want for yourself.

Mentors, teachers and coaches can help pull out the potential that is in you but ultimately they cannot shape what you do with that potential (nor should they).

In my life, I have been fortunate enough to have people believe in me at times when I didn’t believe in myself. People who saw things in me I could not see and people who helped cultivate the potential that was already in me.

Those people painted a picture of what I could be but it was up to me to know if that picture was true for who I was really meant to be.

Visions change, they expand. Who you are at one point in your life is not who you will always be. There should be growth and with growth comes change.

As you expand into your potential, YOU get to decide what to do with who you are becoming. There will be those who do not understand, those who disagree, and those who are outright combative against you. But none of those can stop you.

Your greatness depends on you doing what you must do to reach your highest potential and let me say again, things (and people) outside of you do not determine your potential. Potential lives on the inside of you and can only be TRULY known by you.

Discover Your Greatness

It is the responsibility of your lifetime to rise into your greatness but it can be hard to see that greatness when doubt and the voices of other people are screaming in your head and heart.

I’ve created a new program designed to help you overcome these, and other, obstacles to greatness.

In this mostly DIY group coaching program (to easily fit your schedule) we talk about letting go of self-judgment, overcoming fear and doubt, and embracing your enoughness. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to receive coaching from me while you’re in the program.

If you’re ready to get out of your own way so you can have the impact you want to have then join me for the Discover Your Greatness program. You’ve waited long enough. No more putting you off.

Learn more and sign up HERE.

Here’s to you discovering and rising into your greatness

From my heart to yours,

P.S.: Doors to the program close on Friday, May 6. If you’re done with letting your doubts and other people’s expectations dictating why you do and how you show up, then grab your seat in this program today.