Live Your Possibilities

I wonder, has a perceived limitation, or the way you see yourself, ever stopped you from pursuing something you wanted to do? Yeah, me too. What’s to be gained by overcoming your limitation?

On my road trip across America, I met Jessica.

By 26, she had become a pilot, a black belt in tae kwon do, a small business owner, and a motivational speaker. Next she would sky dive and scuba dive. She also wants to learn yoga and photography. Jessica was born with no arms.

Refusing prosthetics, Jessica chooses instead to explore her possibilities. While eating sushi with chopsticks between her toes, she describes this switch that happened in her life: She said, “I can remember so clearly as a teenager being in the mall and wanting to look like the other teenage girls: Wearing clothes and looking just like them in clothes. Then this change happened.” Instead of the world adapting to her, she wanted to adapt to the world.

Today Jessica talks about never letting fear get in the way of opportunities, and shares another fear that she has overcome. One of her best friends asked Jessica to take care of her baby one day. Jessica wondered: “What about when the baby started to cry? How could I hold her close to my heart to comfort her?” Inspired creativity gave Jessica hope that, someday, she could become a mother too.

Jessica teaches us to focus on our potential instead of our limitations.

Why is that so vital? Focusing on our limitations can keep us from having that amazing relationship, really crushing it in our work or mission, and from following our dreams.

If you felt no limitations, what is one thing you would do?

I caught up with Jessica to interview her for tips on how we all be more confident and courageous.

Btw, since I first met Jessica, she’s been interviewed by Ellen on her show, met President Obama and the Pope, written a book, cycled in a huge bike race, and accomplished many other dreams fueled by living her possibilities instead of her circumstances.

Jessica’s tips are:

1. Don’t hesitate in the face of fear. She says if you hesitate in the face of fear, it makes it all the more difficult. So, she suggests, make yourself uncomfortable – every day…it helps you grow. Write down a list of 5 things you want to do in a week to stretch yourself. Brainstorm the list – then do it.
2. Know that on the other side of overcoming your fear is empowerment. Focus on the outcome instead of on the anxiety you are facing in the moment: Always focus on that versus the details that will be nerve-wracking. She tells me about a recent experience at a comedy club. They have open mic on Thursday nights. People can deliver stand-up comedy for 3-5 minutes. She’s never delivered stand up comedy! She decides to do it. She’s one of only 5 women. Before going on stage, she’s a nervous wreck. Her heart’s pounding. Jessica says she came off stage and felt empowered the rest of the day. Then hired a comedy coach so she can be funnier! Ultimately, Jessica suggests, “Never back down to fear. Go beyond it and see how empowering it is for you.”
3. Relax. The more relaxed you are the better you’ll be. As Jessica suggests in her book, Carry yourself with courage, and the challenges you are able to overcome will surprise you.So, what would it look like for you to carry yourself with courage? Would you be standing up straight? Shoulders back? Walking with a sense of strength in your body? Feel that, breathe deeply, then go do it.

Jillian Robinson is a Certified High Performance Coach whose passion is to help people live their best selves with the consistent feelings of full engagement, joy and confidence. She loves to interview and coach changemakers and parents committed to positively impact young peoples’ lives. Her vision is that, someday, personal development will be taught as commonly as math and science. When you participate in her programs, you become part of that positive change.