Are these 3 Childhood Sayings Limiting You as an Adult?
As children, our parents are there for us to protect us. Teach us. Nurture us and make sure we’re safe. At the same time, they’re charged with growing us into adults and maybe one day parents ourselves. It’s such an intense role, finding the balance between keeping us safe and yet exposing us to the world so we know what the future holds. There are many things we were told as children, designed to help us, but quite possibly limiting in actuality. And they may not have stayed there in childhood and perhaps made their way into your adult life; into your business; lurking in the background, stopping you from being your best and most successful self. See if any of these ring a bell.
Better safe than sorry…
Really? If everything we ever did was safe, we would have no progress. We would have no technological advancements. We would have no new ideas. Our world as we know it would not exist. Taking chances has pushed our society out of the stone age, through the dark ages and into the industrial revolution and now the online world we live in. Taking measured chances is a vital component of progress. Notice I said measured chances… I think we might all be a little sorry if their weren’t a few people out there willing to take chances on pushing new ideas or starting new businesses!
Curiosity killed the cat….
It also invented the wheel, discovered electricity, and created every kind of comfort we know of from different foods to shelters. In addition, it allows us to connect with other people. Without curiosity, there would be no information sharing, no new relationships. In fact our family trees would be vertical twigs with no branches… It might burn you every once in a while, but please don’t manage to the exception. More times than not, curiosity will lead to discovery! Curiosity is a vital component to growth.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…
This is probably the worst of the three. At least the first two are trying to protect you. This one is simply limiting you. This self-defeating statement will cause you to stop in your progress for sure. If you can’t learn anything else, why are you here? “I will never get past this moment in life.” Too many of us subscribe to this theory that we can’t change. We can’t make new outcomes occur. It is simply pre-ordained that we are going to be in this position forever. Nothing will ever get better. I firmly believe there is a reason everything happens, however I also believe we are given opportunities to take advantage of things or not. I’ve had several meaningful conversations on airplanes for example, and after we’ve dialogued and made all kinds of progress, at the end of our conversation, their statement is “I sure hope that happens” or “That sure would be nice.” Oy. They’re stuck in a loop. They see something is possible, and then go right back to their belief that they’re stuck. The people I admire and work with, are the ones that say things like, “So my first step is..” or “I can’t wait to go do…” Get out there and do something. Never stop learning. Don’t give up or settle. You can do more. I promise you.
These sayings and many more like them were created to keep us safe. They were said to us with love at a time when we needed to be shielded from danger. The problem is for many of us, they stuck with us and bled over into our adult lives. There is always a place for caution, but if we live with anxiety and fear instead of relishing each day as a new challenge and opportunity to grow, that sounds pretty miserable.
My challenge to you: Take each day as an opportunity. End each day with a journal entry of what you learned, who you met and what those things will bring in the future. Set a goal of what you would like to write the following evening and make it happen. You are in control. Be conscious in your choices. Be choosey in your relationships. And more than anything, enjoy the ride. Life is short and today will be yesterday in a hurry. Make sure it is the day you want it to be.
