The more I think about life, the more horizons come into view. In these moments I get pulled deeper into their vastness and all that they symbolize.
When I contemplate a beautiful horizon, often looking longingly at the peaceful place where the sun’s rays stretch over the sea, I don’t think about constrictions and limitations. Rather, that single line between the heavens and earth represents an expansive energy of the unknown and worlds beyond. It represents the call we all have to explore and digs up the questions we have inside about journeys left to take and places we might visit, both near and far. It causes me to pause and question the places I might want to discover within my own heart. This essentially was one of the inspirations behind my new book HEARTBEATS OF THE MIND, a philosophical ride to help people overcome their own struggles and find a way to thrive against all odds based on my survival story and my experience in life.
A horizon is something to gravitate toward, not shrink from. It invites us to discovery and beauty, often finding us in contemplation of the adventurous and glorious. A kind of dare to get into your boat and sail out to see what’s in store.
This is the way limitations speak into my life. They are a beautiful dare.
Yes, we do have limits. We have the bodies we inhabit and all their great flaws and beauty. We have an unknown amount of time to inhabit this world and a limited amount of power to exert. Our limitations also revolve around our specialized knowledge, crafted by our unique experiences and insights. But this doesn’t mean we should limit ourselves. Within these limitations lie endless options to live and explore, feel and enjoy.
I see life as an expansive unknown, one that goes on forever in all directions and takes our breath away. The simplicity of our limitations make the expansiveness of our possibilities more precious, I suppose.
So set what you perceive as your limitations aside. If only for today.
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
––Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer
What would you do today if you believed in your limitless potential? If you knew and counted on the fact that you’d be able to not only accomplish what you set out to do but far exceed your expectations of what you can achieve? What if today you fully expected to knock out your to-do list and much, much more?
How would you feel? How would this limitless attitude affect your relationships? Would you be more present in that last-minute lunch with your daughter? Would you be more willing to make room for an extra long walk? Would you read the chapter in that book you always wanted to read but never got around to? How would this idea of expansiveness create more space for you and your creativity?
I believe you would not only be happier, but also you would allow yourself the ability to dream bigger and calmly gain greater focus in the direction of your dreams.
We can be our own enemy sometimes just by the attitude we choose to wake up with each morning. It’s time to rise and shine in new ways, believing in your limitless ability to create and thrive in the life you are living. This one single shift in attitude––from seeing all your limitations to claiming your limitless possibilities instead––can change your life today in this minute. Believe the best about yourself and every situation. Don’t come down on the side of the negative. Set the idea of limits aside and live fully in each moment instead of rushing to accomplish things.
Lastly, I want to leave you with a positive note about limitations. They often help to clarify how we respond to difficulties and challenges which is the best way we can learn how to eliminate stress from our lives. The key to peace is how we respond to interruptions and disruptions in our lives brought on by various limitations whether internal or external. In these moments we can rest in the fact that we aren’t defined by our limits, we are defined by our response to them and what we do to overcome.
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
––Lou Holtz, American Football Player, and coach
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Part memoir-part fantasy HEARTBEATS OF THE MIND delights readers with a poetic picture of survival through a mystical, magical world of hope and beauty readers will never want to leave. One where having conversations about life with Einstein, Thoreau, and Fatema Mernissi are as likely to occur as finding the courage to beat death and shame cancer. This is much more than a novel about surviving cancer though. It is a fantastical philosophical ride that will not only help readers overcome their own struggles, but find a way to thrive against all odds courtesy of the wit and wisdom of a lady who has the secrets to processing pain and face life, death, and everything in between by always choosing happiness.