Yesterday I was talking to a friend about how our brains get wired from the time we are young to think what’s possible is only what you see. She’s a little older than me and we were sharing our childhood experiences based on traditional gender roles we saw play out. Because she didn’t see women in certain roles, even though she wanted to do them, she didn’t think she could. Often times our moms and grandmothers reinforced these limiting beliefs based on sticking with “conventional” wisdom.
My mom use to tell me stories about surfing in Ocean Beach, San Diego when she was a teenager, and how that was not something girls should’ve been doing at the time. Boys surfed. Girls did not. But she did it anyway. She didn’t see another girl doing it then think, “ok, now I can.” She carved out her own path based on following her heart and passion for the ocean.
This story always inspired me. I love seeing people break down traditional roles and limiting mental beliefs that they can’t do something just because nobody else has before them or it’s super scary to try.
This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up well;
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
It takes a crazy amount of grit, ignoring the opinion of others, and most importantly, ignoring the limiting beliefs in our own heads, but anyone can create their own trail.
If you remove the noisy negatives, and there’s a fire in your heart, you should not ignore it. You have to follow your passion – it’s your calling, it’s your purpose. Big or small. Unconventional or not.
Surf those waves!
Not sure how to find your passion? Contact me for a free heart mapping session.
Karlynn Holbrook 