Throughout your journey to becoming a fearless leader, you’ll run into a lot of roadblocks and limiting beliefs.
Self-doubt. Nay-sayers. The “We’ve never done it that way here, it’s never going to work…” people.
Almost everything about our self-belief—how much we believe we can achieve—we learn early on in life. These limiting beliefs shape everything we do. Our own perspective on our ability to change or to effect a different outcome is profound.
Some of us are born with more self-belief than others or raised to believe in ourselves to a greater degree. But we all perform based on what we believe we can do, not based on what we actually can do.
Oftentimes the greatest battle you can wage against fear and against failure occurs not on the outside, but inside your head. It’s your limiting beliefs.
In a letter from Wilbur Wright to Octave Chanute on May, 13, 1900, Wilbur wrote, “For some years, I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life.”
Before launching experimental airplanes, the Wright brothers ran a successful bicycle repair and manufacturing business.
Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop wikimedia
At the time, nobody believed powered flight was possible.
But, they believed they could fly.
And they did.
On Dec 17, 1903 with very little fanfare or press (because no one believed flying was possible), they made their first powered flight.
Like the Wright brothers, whether you want to obey the rules or break them, you still need to know what those rules, and your limiting beliefs, are.
On the road to any worthwhile achievement, you’re going to hit those roadblocks. You will toil. You’ll slave away, you’ll stumble around, you’ll take a cinder block to the teeth. But eventually, eventually, if you persevere, you’ll bust through those barriers.
Ready to get started?
- Read. A lot. Knowledge equals power.
- Learn. Study the rules.
- TAKE ACTION
- Learn some more
- Take action AGAIN
Crush those limiting beliefs. Don’t let fear overshadow your dreams and aspirations.
When the odds are one in a million? Be that one.
Be a rebel. Be relentless.
Be fearless.
Carey Lohrenz is the author of the Wall Street Journal Best Seller “Fearless Leadership: High-Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck.”, a motivational speaker and leadership expert.
Carey has flown missions worldwide as a combat-mission-ready United States Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot. Her extensive experience operating in one of the world’s most challenging environments, an aircraft carrier, and her unique position as one of the first female combat pilots make her the perfect opening or closing inspirational keynote speaker for your corporate meeting or conference.
Carey graduated from the University of Wisconsin where she was a varsity rower, also training at the Pre-Olympic level. After graduation, she attended the Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School before starting flight training and her naval career. She is the mother of four kids, and is currently working on her Master’s in Business Administration in Strategic Leadership.
