Are you shrinking back from every challenge or charging ahead with boldness?

I’m older now….

That’s what I say today, but when I was “younger” and I talked then about people who were as old as I am now, I’d say, “they’re older than dirt.” So as a person who now fits that description, I was thinking back on my life and remembering all the times when I did exciting, crazy, foolish, brave, and dangerous things,and this little voice popped into my head and said, “When exactly did you stop believing you were invincible?”

That got me thinking about the transition from then to now. The change didn’t happen overnight, and for the most part, I didn’t even notice the subtle differences, each little change compounding onto the next.

I don’t know, maybe it started one sunny afternoon on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean, when I reached the end of my nerve and the end of my strength, and only the hand of God kept me from tumbling down the rock face into the ocean. Maybe a little piece got away from me in calculus class where math, which had always been so easy, suddenly became unintelligible. Maybe a little piece drifted away when I realized I couldn’t walk as fast as I used to or throw a 75-pound box up onto the top of a stack of boxes. Maybe some of it vanished when I realized I wasn’t a teenager anymore and that I was now invisible to them as three teenagers walking abreast, pinned me to the wall as they passed by, in the mall. Piece by piece, my conviction turned to compromise, endless energy replaced by a hint of weakness, and my unshakable confidence slowly gave way to timidity.

What’s the point of this self-analysis? Well it all started when I began working on my long-range plan. It started with goal setting and this deep wrenching gut check that comes from realizing that some of my previous goals have gone by unaccomplished simply because I didn’t believe in myself, anymore. In short, I’d failed to meet my own expectations, for a lack of conviction and a lack of confidence.

There it was, staring me in the face: the doubt, the fear, the weakness, the timidity and the question, “when did I stop believing I could do anything?”

That’s when I realized, the loss of confidence is a sneaky little thing, like an expanding waistline. The first “extra inch” is no big deal, but inch by inch it builds into a serious problem. And like the expanded waistline, recognizing each subtle attack on my confidence has given me the ability to take corrective action.

The confidence thief has been exposed!

So, now am I invincible? No. I never was! But now, I understand that believing in myself is the first step to regaining my strength, fearlessness, boldness, confidence, and conviction. 

Armed with this renewed awareness, I’m boldly and enthusiastically planning my long-range goals, with new confidence and new courage. I’m not just older, (as I like to say, now) and I’m certainly not older than dirt, but I am finally old enough to be wiser, and with this wisdom I’m confronting the confidence thief to keep it from stealing another victory.  I’m drawing the line here. Taking my stand. I’m done with fear, timidity, and unrealized goals.

I invite you to join me. Let’s set ambitious goals and plan with the boldness that says, “I know I can and will achieve my goals”. Remember, if we don’t take control of it – it will take control of us.

Come on, join me! Let’s boldly set big goals and plan to have a wonderful future, together.

Peggy