Coffee Talk #169: Stop Holding Yourself Back

It’s Tuesday! Grab your cup and join me for a chat.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d definitely want to chat about the Super Bowl. Not the actual game, but the HALFTIME SHOW. Did you see it? ICYMI, here you go. Can we all agree on two things 1) The absolute dedication and talent and sheer athleticism of all those involved in the performance 2) JLo and Shakira are bad-ash-mother-puppers. Regardless of your views on the ‘appropriateness’ of the performance (working in a high school, I’ve seen worse. Actually, I’ve seen worse at a middle school), I think those two things are reasonable facts.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that one of my dreams is to be a back-up dancer for someone famous. I usually say Janet Jackson, but I’d be down to dance behind JLo or Shakira! For now, you can join me for Buti and Zumba, where we channel those dance video and performance vibes.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that I overloaded my sanity a bit this week. I’m coming off a Yoga Teacher Training weekend, debuted a new Turbo Kick round tonight, have a big event for my juniors tomorrow, and am taking students to the Naval Academy on a field trip this week. Hold my coffee. Actually, wait, let me hold it.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d want to really chat about living your best life, and what’s holding you back. A consistent question that keeps coming up in YTT readings and training is this: “What is holding you back from living your best life?” Like, if you could have the BEST LIFE EVER, what would it be? And why don’t you have that right now? What’s the excuse du jour?

I have two. One is “I’m not currently qualified enough (on paper) to do what I want to do” (says who?!) and the other is money — coming from the source I want it to come from, not where I’m currently getting it.

One quote that always hits me hard in the gut says something like “there are people who are less qualified than you doing the things you want to do, simply because they decided to believe in themselves.” Whoa.

I’m a big fan of qualifications. I get a new license or certification a couple of times a year, because I want to offer the safest, most up-to-date classes to my deserving clients, but I know there are people who already teach the classes I am training hard to teach who do not possess any certifications.

Some of my favorite fitness gurus, thought leaders, and even authors don’t have a college education. How do they have the authority–the audacity–to drop knowledge without that expensive piece of paper to back it all up?

They have confidence. And faith. They believe so much in what they have to offer. Am I saying it’s right to practice medicine (or even fitness) without a license? Well, not exactly. I think it’s important to know your stuff. But there isn’t just one correct path to get there. I will continue to educate myself through certifications and workshops because I enjoy it.

My passion is fitness and wellness. I have a college degree (American Studies) but I don’t use it in my profession of choice. I didn’t study anatomy or kinesiology. Here’s what I learned from my time at college: how to write, how to communicate, how to think, how to share information, how to plan and host events, how to work on a team, and how to lead. I poured myself into every student group and club that would take me and I absorbed all the knowledge that I could.

In my adult life, I’ve taken more classes, workshops, certifications, and I’ve spent more time reading and writing than I did in college. I’m teaching myself anatomy and physiology because it’s fair and important to my clients. I’m learning about musicality, choreography, planes of movement, and more to build and offer the best classes that I can, because I want to do this.

As far as my other excuse–money–I make more than ever, I have more jobs and clients than ever. But I still have a job that distracts me from pouring all of my energy into fitness and wellness. It’s a fun use of my skills and it pays really well. We’re not supposed to talk about money, but we’re also not supposed to do a lot of things. Let’s be rebels. Let’s stop waiting for permission to do and say what we want. I want my money sources to come solely from fitness and wellness outlets. I don’t know that I will ever be content with just one source of income, but I also don’t know how that would feel, since I’ve always had more than one job/project at a time.

Once you can figure out your excuses and how you’re holding yourself back, what’s next? I have some homework, straight outta YTT. One thing I’m supposed to do is focus on the money sources that make me happiest. I’m supposed to notice the source of my income and spend time thinking about what I want to do or how I like to spend my time. I’m supposed to be grateful for the income that I get from that source.  I’m supposed to remember that what you place your attention on is what you become. Channeling all the energy into this!

In terms of the qualifications excuse, I’m supposed to show up to the things I’m already doing and go ahead and do the thing I think I’m not qualified to do. So, stay tuned for an announcement that I’m equal parts excited and terrified to offer.

How about you — what excuses are you creating that cause you to hold yourself back from living your best life? The louder and prouder we share, the closer we are to punching those excuses in the face, turbo-style.