“I was raised in a subculture that insisted I could do anything I wanted to do, be anything I wanted to be, if I were willing to make the effort. The message was that both the universe and I were without limits, given enough energy and commitment on my part. God made things that way, and all I had to do was to get with the program. My troubles began, of course, when I started to slam into my limitations, especially in the form of failure.”
Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
Our limits can be gifts if we let them be. They might show up like failure, season of life, fatigue, disability, grief, burn out. But the limits tell us important things about ourselves. They help us draw lines for margin. They pave the way for vulnerability. They sometimes show us what our passion isn’t. And that can be just as important as knowing what it is. In some cases, our limitations can actually become our inspiration.
So when when people say, The sky’s the limit! they mean there is limitless potential and you can do anything you set your mind to. But I’m not sure that’s true, and if it were true, I’m not sure it’s a good thing. When it comes to your influence and your ability to affect change, something has to be the limit other than the sky. Identify what those things are, set your own boundaries, and leave room for your soul to breathe.
See all the posts so far in the 31 days to Change the World series.
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