Why These 5 Numbers Shouldn't Limit Your Potential
Create the life you want to live. No more limitations.
Yuricazac / Shutterstock By Taylor DuVall
Life is hard.
Sometimes our minds can play tricks on us by telling us we are unworthy. These thoughts limit what we are capable of and strip away the power we have to create the lives we want.
There are five numbers in our lives that we all tend to concentrate on. And with a negative perspective, these numbers can limit us time and time again.
Let’s rewrite the story on these numbers so they empower us instead of restricting us.
1. Weight
First of all, no matter our weight, we are all human beings worthy of support and acceptance. Still, this world is obsessed with weight, though not a necessarily healthy weight. It’s all about the number on the scale.
Instead, the main focus should be on having healthy bodies to live amazing lives, not about what size jeans you fit in. No size is too small or too large to begin a journey to health.
Our bodies are the vehicles we have to live the life we want. Our bodies are not a problem to overcome. Weight does not determine happiness.
2. Age
Age truly is just a number. We tell children they are too young, we tell the elderly they are too old, and then we heap way too much pressure on those our 20s, 30s, and 40s to accomplish and achieve everything.
No matter how old you are, do what you want to do. Don’t get caught up in comparing yourself with your peers.
In the same way, don’t conform to the pressure that you have to meet any one goal by a particular age. Do what you love; the rest will figure itself out.
3. Dollars in the bank
People rest so much of their identity on their wealth and on the wealth of their families. Money can give us comfort, security, and a fun time; this is true. But money can’t give us true joy. Plenty of adventures can be had for no money.
No matter how rich or how poor, our identities are not found in our bank accounts, but how we choose to live.
4. Sexual partners
Whether you’re the 40-Year-Old Virgin or you’ve been around the block many times, the number of people you have slept with should not be a factor in finding love. Both inexperience and too much experience get a lot of criticism.
But the past is in the past. There is no changing it. Rock your past and embrace the future. If your partner can’t get on board, he or she is not the partner for you.
5. Vacation days
We shouldn’t be waiting for our vacation days to have an adventurous life. Take captive any moment that you are given and truly live. The brilliant poet Mary Oliver wrote the question: “Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”
Real living doesn’t come from breathing just a little or just getting by. Go and find your adventures. You may be surprised just how close by they are and how little time it takes to explore.
And by all means, take every single vacation day. We were made for more than working ourselves to the bone.
When we remember that these numbers do not confine us, we can start creating the life we want to live. No more limitations. By owning these numbers instead of being embarrassed by them, we don’t have to let them own us.
Taylor DuVall is a writer, editor, musician, book publisher, and poet. Her work has been published on Thought Catalog, Huffington Post, HelloGiggles, Skirt Magazine, and more.