Are your self-imposed ‘limits’ running the show?

Today was painful. But it was worth it.

Today I learned something on an experiencial level that I’ve ‘known’ for years intellectually. Today I actually got it.

I’m currently participating in a Crossfit training class that I go to about 3 times/week. It’s definitely one of the most intense workouts I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried pretty much everything).

The workout that happens during the second half of the class is always different, and always REALLY challenging. We’re usually being timed, and everybody’s keeping an eye on each other and cheering each other on.

During the workout today, I reached a point where I didn’t think I could do one more repetition. I was completely out of breath, weak, and just totally exhausted. I thought I was going to just fall on my face, literally.

My coach was  yelling at me, “Keep going, Amy! Keep going!” I didn’t think I could.

I was trying to jump back and forth over a bar that was approx 20 inches off the ground and I didn’t think I could actually do one more… I literally didn’t have enough energy to jump high enough to make it over.

He kept yelling at me to keep going and I finally heard myself say, “I can’t.”

He said, “Keep going!”

I said (while literally gasping for air), “I can’t.”

He then said, “Stop saying you can’t and do it.”

So I sucked it up and did it. And at this point I was starting to cry. Before today, I had NEVER pushed myself to this extreme.

By the time I got to the final exercise, everyone else was finished and now they were all cheering me on. “Come on, Amy, you can do this. Keep going. You’re almost there.”

I couldn’t lift the weight one more time… and I had 30 left to do. Everybody was yelling and I literally felt like I was going to die.

Finally, I pushed through and completed the workout.  I had pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible. It felt amazing.

When I left the gym, my whole body was trembling. I was shaking for hours afterwards. And I had plenty of time to really sit with and think about what had actually happened in that gym today.

I had heard myself saying (out loud) the words, “I can’t”.

These are words I’m not used to hearing come out of my mouth… I think of myself as a strong-willed person who can do pretty much anything I set my mind to.

But when I was pushed to the ultimate extreme, those are the words that came out…which means that they’ve been hangin’ out in there all along.

And although on a conscious level I believe I can accomplish anything I commit to, there’s been an underlying subconscious belief that, “I can’t.”

And it was hiding away nicely as subconscious beliefs usually do until I pushed myself beyond where I’ve ever pushed myself before and it exposed itself.

Although today was one of the hardest physical experiences I’ve ever had, there’s a reason I was there. I got to find out today what’s been in my way. And I got to prove to myself that that dark subconscious belief I’ve been carrying around is a lie. I actually proved it today when I did something I thought was impossible.

I am seriously amazed that I was able to complete that workout today. And it really opened my eyes to all of the limits we place on ourselves that are truly self-imposed.

I said, “I can’t” and I believed it. When actually I COULD and I DID.

It’s been really eye-opening to me today to look at how we, as humans, place all kinds of limits on ourselves that are simply untrue. How we are capable of accomplishing so much more than we give ourselves credit for. How we really are limitless… and the limits are just made up, by us. 

And I’m so excited to now go way beyond what I thought was possible… in all areas of my life.

What about you? What limits do you place on yourself? Where do you stop and convince yourself that you ‘can’t’? What would life be like without these self-imposed constraints?

And are you even willing to find out?

Please share your thoughts in the comments…