BY ALECIA WELLEN
“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal. Transformative success is.“
– Seth Godin
We all experience personal growth and achievement. In one way or another, we have all invested in ourselves to reach our next highest potential. There comes a time in our lives when we hit a plateau and are faced with a challenge that we’ve brushed up against and pushed to the side repeatedly. For one reason or another, we choose a different challenge to work on, but inevitably, the thing we deny the most presents itself at the most inopportune time. That time comes when there is nothing else to do but radically embrace the challenge and bring it closer instead of burying it repeatedly.
When we are tired of a challenge being part of our story, it’s time to embrace uncertainty, welcome chaos, and navigate unexpected changes with trust and patience. Realistically, our track record for getting through hard things is 100%, and when we get honest with ourselves, we can accept that we can trust ourselves, even when we can’t see the path in front of us.
Many self-improvement modalities include a component that encourages one to ignore, abandon, or otherwise cut out limits. The idea that we can push past them, putting them out of sight and mind, temporarily satisfies us. The Universe will repeatedly present us with a challenge until we decondition it, break the cycle, and truly integrate it into our lives to be used as a tool instead of a persistent limit.
Having an intimate relationship with the limits that keep us playing safe and small is critical in the pursuit of knowing ourselves and ultimately being value-aligned and achieving fulfillment. Being acquainted with every aspect of ourselves, especially the things we are uncomfortable with is the only way to understand ourselves and operate optimally, leading us to our next highest potential. When our limits are fully understood, they can be used as building blocks to understand more and become versatile tools in many aspects of our lives. Understanding provides an intimate perspective that facilitates trust and confidence in us, leading to a profoundly present state of mind. Being present in our daily interactions keeps regret of the past and anxiety for the future out of the fold. When we have trust in ourselves and patience with the process of life, we make space for a newfound process for navigating the unpredictability that comes with leaving the beaten path to create our own.
Creating our own path when we aren’t used to it and cannot see it can be paralyzing. Society has promoted norms and standards for us, particularly around learning, growth curves, academic achievement, entrepreneurial endeavors, and corporate promotion timelines. Often, high achievers set and achieve goals ahead of their schedule, and they either get to the top quicker than they anticipated or find themselves looking for something bigger, better, or different than what they initially set out to achieve.
A powerful way to process these limits is to find intentionality in the process itself. Using perspectives in a new way can help maintain a high degree of intentionality, and genuinely committing to a process is critical. We live in an age of instant gratification and are constantly looking for a quick fix. Still, those quick fixes don’t promote the process or honor the time it takes to dig in and learn something about us to the point of understanding and integration. Suppose we aren’t willing to invest in ourselves and allow time and space to show us something new. How can anyone else invest in us regarding creative ideas, relationships, promotions, or other vital commitments?
I genuinely believe in our potential to push through what’s holding us back—to break cycles and sometimes decondition lifelong beliefs to create new paths to discover our best selves. I have spent my career helping high achievers and have created an opportunity to bring my experience and support to a small group setting for those looking to tackle their limits in a unique way that has never been done before. Suppose the concept and ideas in this article have sparked something, and you believe you are ready to dig deep spiritually and intellectually, commit to personal development that leads directly to transformative success, and do so in the company of like-minded, inspired individuals. In that case, it is no coincidence you’ve read this far.
A Colorado native and single mom of two daughters and two giant boxer dogs, Alecia Wellen draws upon 25 years of professional experience in the Wall Street space.
As the Founder + CEO of her own coaching and consulting firm she offers professional coaching, consulting and Reiki to high achievers looking to leverage their inflection points to reach a higher potential, whether it be in their personal or professional lives.
To learn more about leveraging your desire to use your limits rather than deny them, book your discovery call for Alecia Wellen’s Crown to Root program by emailing her at alecia@aleciawellen.com or visiting www.aleciawellen.com/crown-to-root