I’ve been holding back!

Do you have something in your life you’ve always wanted to do, but something inside of you holds you back?

I’ve been that person! I still am sometimes, but I’m breaking down those walls that hold me back every day! I can come up with a million different scenarios of why I’ve held myself back. Maybe it’s not God’s plan, maybe the timing hasn’t been right, maybe I don’t have enough money, maybe it was the devil in my head, maybe society, I can come up with a million maybes. But you know what all my maybes are? EXCUSES and FEAR!

I’m not the kind of person most people would associate those words with. I’ve started companies, I’ve moved across the country on a whim, I’m positive 96.99% of the time, I read the books, listen to the podcasts, I’ve never known a stranger in some shady places, I’m the first to jump off a tall rope swing, the list goes on. But I struggle too!

For YEARS, I’ve held myself back from going to team roping jackpots. I’ve put in quite a bit of time behind the scenes. I’ve had the horsepower, the practice equipment, the outdoor and indoor arena in my backyard, the places to haul to, people to help me, enough money saved up, all the things, but I’ve still held myself back. I’ve still had fear. Until now!

Two weeks ago, I entered my first team roping jackpot in a couple years! Last week, I went and got help from someone new. Someone I’ve known for years is a great teacher, but I’d never let myself go. This weekend, I went to two more jackpots, Did I win a prize, no! But you know what?! I feel liberated! (adj. given liberty; freed; released).

I’m breaking down the walls of fear I built up around myself, one-at-a-time.  Nobody else gave me the feelings of fear I have. Yes, they’ve been influence by culture, society and the messages, but I’ve chosen to listen to them. It was MY choice friends, just as it’s your choice. I take responsibility for making the choice to listen to fear in the past and l take responsibility for replacing those fears with faith, now. And so, can you!

Fear sucks guys! There’s so much of it in the world today. If you turn on the radio or television, pure fear. There’s no escaping it, but there is overcoming it. How you ask? TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.  Take responsibility for what you listen to, watch, who you surround yourself with, what you say out loud and to yourself. Take responsibility for making your goals happens and your dreams come true. Take responsibility for not making the time or making excuses in the past and for allowing yourself to load up that trailer now! Take responsibility for choosing of faith over fear and for making the choice to get in the dang truck and go to the roping or wherever it is that you’re holding yourself back from.

When I took responsibility to enter up, something inside of me instantly changed. A wall came down and I was empowered. I went to the first roping knowing that I’d already won. I’d already won because I did what I’ve been wanting to do for years. I won when I made the choice to have fun no matter what! I expected to do my best with the experience I have, but I didn’t beat myself up when I didn’t beat the people who have been hauling and practicing way more than me. It’s so easy to judge ourselves on the paper results instead of the lessons learned, fun had, and memories made. I know that if I keep taking responsibility for doing the work, getting the help, saving the money and choosing faith over fear, the physical prizes will come.

Do I still have areas in my life that walls need broken down, of course! New experiences come all the time that are scary and spark that fear and doubt, but I know with faith, I can overcome it! And I know you can too!!

I encourage all of you reading this to take one step forward towards your goal today. That step can be as simple as changing one negative excuse to one positive action, replacing one negative thought to two positive thoughts or writing down three positive affirmations and placing them somewhere you can read them every day. For example, I have “I am a WINNER” written on my bathroom mirror.

“God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7.

It takes a village to accomplish goals, overcome fears and choose to live in faith in such a negative world.  If I  can help you in anyway, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Example #1: Negative thought – I don’t have enough money.

• Positive action:
  • Get an envelope
  • Write your goal on it and how much it’s going to cost
  • Find $5, $10 or $20 and put it in the envelope
  • Repeat once a week
  • Once you have the money, you’ve overcome the excuse and you’ve done the work! You now deserve to spend this money on that goal!

Example #2: Negative excuse: I don’t have any help.

• Positive action:
  • Contact RodeoKids.com and ask for someone in your area who can help!

Example #3: Negative thought: I’m not good enough.

• Positive thought 1: I’m not good enough, YET! I AM putting in the time to get to the level I want achieve. (Listen to the song, “The Power of Yet” of C.J. Luckey)
• Positive thought 2: I’ve already accomplished _______________, _______________, and __________. I just have to build on that.
• A

Affirmations: I am a winner. I am strong. I have faith. I can do it. I am willing to put in the work. I am hard working. I am brave. I am beautiful. The world is a wonderful place. I will accomplish my goals.