Off Limits

I realize that over the years I have defined certain places as "off limits." One of the fastest ways to get on my "off limits" list was a staircase. Stairs were an obstacle I didn't tackle and they made lots of places I wanted to go seem impossibly difficult. Before I began training, that list was getting longer. My mental outlook was to define what I couldn't do and avoid it.

Well, today I tackled the stairs! I made it up a flight of stairs at the Fitness Loft! I did it!

To say it felt good is an understatement. It also makes me realize that I don't have to see places as "off limits." They can be a challenge, but they do not have to be a barrier. Viewing that staircase as "off limits" rather than a challenge was part of what kept me from climbing it in the first place.

Asghar is good for me (and people with a similar mindset) because he doesn't do "off limits" thinking. He looks at what you want to do and figures out how to achieve it. He prepared me physically and mentally to tackle the staircase (and then he waits until you think it is your idea to tackle the challenge he has been preparing you for all along - which is a nice little boost to your self-esteem.)

"Off limits" becomes limitless as obstacles become challenges to figure out and prepare for.  Although stairs may be a simple task for most people, I think many of us have decided there are things that are "off limits" physically.  Challenging that assumption feels so good.

At the top!

I am sharing the photo today of me at the top of the stairs. That second floor is definitely not off limits!