It’s not that you can’t, it’s just that you never had to.
I meet leaders that tell me there's something they can't do. They're usually wrong.
A few months ago, I visited the CN Tower with my youngest son, Brody. At the top, there's a glass floor. The thought of walking on it makes your stomach roll over.
Brody had no problem venturing on to the glass. Me? I couldn't get my chicken self to walk out.
Adding shame to my fear are big signs posted near the glass floor. They tell cowards how many whales and elephants the glass could support. (For what it's worth, it'll hold 35 moose.) I weigh slightly less than a moose, but my brain couldn't convince my legs to take the steps.
While Brody was taking selfies on the glass, a crowd got between him and me. I lost sight of him. The only way for me to get to him quickly was to walk around the group via the glass floor.
It took me less than a millisecond to decide to risk a glass walk and get to my son.
When you have to, you will.
Necessity reveals our hidden ability because courage kicks in.
"Can't" is beaten by "have to."
I bet that some of your "cant's" exist because someone told you an untruth and you locked it in.
"You are so disorganized."
"You're not very good with people."
"You never amount to anything."
"You're not leadership material."
Baloney.
Flex your leadership muscles. You'll discover that you're much more impressive than you thought. But the trick is, you have to try risky things. Develop the habit of rising to the occasion.
Cross the river and burn the bridge. When you can't turn back anymore, you'll move forward because forward is the ONLY option.
What bridge must you burn? What lifeboat must you cut loose? What safety net needs to come down?
Write it down or tell your coach: What's the thing you know you need to do? Then, write down, why are you afraid of doing it?
Self-discovery lives within accepting an opportunity. The problem with hidden potential is that it is, well, hidden. You're more ready than you think.
