“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
? Eleanor Roosevelt
Here I was flying over my favorite city in the entire world (Austin, TX) in a beautiful jet black multi-million dollar helicopter. This same exact helicopter had flown Brad Pitt over the city only a week prior.
The experience was a reward from one of my clients for helping her execute a successful online business launch earlier in the year that made six figures in six weeks. Yeah, that’s no typo. Six figures in six weeks!
A couple years ago if you would have told me I could help create $100K online for someone throughout my entire LIFETIME (let alone within six weeks), I would have called you bananas. Now, those numbers aren’t impossible for me to wrap my mind around.
But this kind of personal growth didn’t always come easy for me.
And life wasn’t always this adventurous or awesome.
SMALL TOWN GAL, BIG TIME DREAMS
I distinctly remember the moment we got the first great view from the air. I had this surreal moment where all I could think was… “Wow, is this my life?”
I had this mid-flight flashback to living in a tiny no-name town in the midwest, and growing up in poverty, after being born with severe medical problems to my 15-year-old mother.
Many people don’t realize this, but at birth I was given a 5% chance of living.
In elementary school, when my friends spent recess playing tag and burning off excess energy, I spent mine in physical therapy learning how to walk properly.
Being born with Cerebral Palsey, boundaries, walls, and thinking small was something I had to break through every single day of my life, starting from day one.
I was never even expected to be able to live on my own if I survived… and here I was checking off another crazy impossible adventure in my #YearOfFear challenge for this past year.
In this moment I realized, not only had I proved science (and all my doctors) wrong, but I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it.
I could (literally) go as high as I desired in life as long as I never let the rest of the world tell me what was possible or impossible.
I learned early on that the biggest barriers would never be found in the world around me, but within me.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU WILL EVER FACE IS THE SPACE BETWEEN YOUR OWN TWO EARS
Three years ago a close friend introduced me to the Law of Attraction and it made me totally re-shape what was possible for my life.
When I realized the biggest limitation I faced was the space between my own two ears, everything changed.
When I started THINKING bigger, I started LIVING bigger. You can call it woo-woo all you want. But you know what isn’t woo-woo?
- Massively increasing my income.
- Attracting a kick ass career that let’s me work from anywhere in the world.
- Traveling any time I want, any where I want, without asking for permission.
All of those things and more came straight from expanding my thinking.
WHY YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT YOU WANT
It’s tough to take responsibility for our lives and the way we live without blaming it on outside forces (i.e. the economy, other people, how we were raised). Because when it’s 100% our responsibility, falling flat on our butts and failing is also ours to own.
So instead we often blame outside forces, because then it’s “not our fault” when things don’t work out.
But make no mistake, the very first step in getting everything you want, is realizing the only reason you don’t have it is yourself.
No one else in the world can stop you, but yourself (and your limited thinking).
Your entire life is your fault.
If you want to see the only thing in your way, just look in the mirror.
IF YOUR LIFE IS AWESOME, IT’S YOUR FAULT. IF YOUR LIFE SUCKS, IT’S YOUR FAULT
There’s incredible power (and freedom) to be harnessed when you realize EVERYTHING in your life is your responsibility.
Your current lifestyle, body, relationships, etc. are simply a receipt printout of everything you’ve done up until this point. And if you want to change it, you’re going to have to realize first that you’re the only one who possibly can. Stop waiting on someone else to rescue you.
Every time someone asks me, “How do you live the way you do?” I answer:
“I decided a few years ago that if I wanted to write a story worth reading when I got old, I’d have to be the one who took responsibility for creating it.”
So, now I ask for helicopter tours of the city instead of big fat cash bonuses. I wake up at 4:30AM on Saturday mornings to do EMS ride-a-longs to learn more about the world around me, and I hit the race car track to celebrate turning a year older instead of bar hopping for my birthday.
Unlike 98% of the people who ask me the question above, I commit lots of time and energy to creating a life I’m proud of.
“We don’t stumble accidentally into an amazing life. It takes a decision. A commitment to consistently work on ourselves.”
? Kamal Ravikant, Live Your Truth
I wish I could tell you hitting six figure launches, helicopter tours of the city, and incredible adventures started from something more complex, but it didn’t. LIVING bigger started from THINKING bigger.
I remind myself the only thing that will ever stop me is myself.
- Science can’t (always) stop me.
- Where I grew up can’t stop me.
- Other people and their beliefs about what is possible can’t stop me.
And they can’t stop YOU either.
More often than not… If your life is awesome, it’s your fault. If your life sucks, it’s your fault.
I promise you can have almost anything you want in life, but the first person you’re going to have to convince is yourself.
Go get whatcha want my friends.
Your turn…
I’d love to hear from YOU in the comments. What have you been wanting to do but haven’t started on yet this year? What was the last great adventure you had? When was the last time you proved one of the naysayers in your life wrong? I will read and respond to every comment. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Author Bio: Kendra Wright is on a mission to banish “boring” in people’s lives, relationships, and businesses. Want to start living a remarkable life jam-packed full of fun and adventure but aren’t sure where to start? Marc and Angel readers can download 100 Adventure Ideas For Any Budget (57 are FREE!) from Kendra here.
Photo by: Heather West
Krystn says
Beautiful piece to push me further in my pursuit of happiness. That was my only resolution for this year. To live a happy life. Posts like this remind me to stay to my course. Everything is possible if we believe.
Sweety Chaudhary says
It is really very inspirational and helpful to remove the clouds of darkness in life. Yes, it is true that sometime in life we don’t able to see the reality due to our negative thoughts and it keeps on pile up in our mind. which for sure harm ours not others. This is the second time when I am suffering from depression due to over thinking (should I say my negative thinking). My head pains like anything else. It is also true that whatever happens in life it is totally our responsibility and our fault. I want to come out of all this but don’t know how should I start.
This article really helps me to understand the situation and come out with solution. I know everything is in our mind and our mind control our reaction.
It is all about attitude to the situation. Keep up with the positive attitude in life and see how the ways will be clear.
Dave says
Thank you so much!
DEBORAH says
love this – your life is – “simply a receipt printout of everything you’ve done up until this point.” APTLY PUT & ACCURATE!
THANK YOU
DEB
Shecky says
You rock, Kendra…proud to know you!