Could you imagine that before May 6th, 1954, no other athlete in the world had ever run a mile under four minutes?

No one.

No one that is until Roger Bannister. On May 6th, 1954, the record was finally broken. The running time for his mile was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds! If your thinking right now, he only beat it by 6 seconds, you are forgetting the fact that no one in the world was able to break that barrier of four minutes. No matter how big or small, that record was broken.

It only lasted 46 days.

By the end of the 20th century, the record was lowered to 3:43:13 and has remained there since 1999, and anyone running in the world’s one-mile race, all now run under four minutes.

Roger gave every runner a gift by breaking that record. It took the form of permission. Permission to step out and do what is the impossible.

Permission to go outside of conventional thinking because after that day, suddenly every world class runner was running miles under 4 minutes.

We live in an age, “if you think it, you can build it.”

There is far too much evidence out there that proves it. Just when you thought you had seen it all, something totally new comes along the defies conventional thinking.

Every time that happens, it is giving us permission to do the same.

People like, Bill Gates, Oprah, Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg, Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington and Steve Jobs, to name just a few of the many successful, out of the box thinkers who have also given us this gift in the form of permission to succeed. To break records, to think out of the box, and to create the impossible.

You might be saying, “Wait a minute, I am not them. Those people are different. They have talents and money and ya-but and ya-but.”

You are comparing them to your level right now, not where they were, when they first started out. So, stop comparing.

You are also that person that is thinking that you lack something that they have, and “I could never do that” pops up in your ego-mind every time there is an attempt to stretch out of your comfort zone.

What are those traits or attributes that you admire that make people successful?

Think of someone that you admire. It could be someone from the past that is no longer with us or someone in the present. Write down all the traits that you admire in that person. Don’t qualify them or try and come up with the perfect words, just write as you think of them.

Once you are done, review the list. Circle any traits that you think that you don’t possess yourself or wish you had.

Here is the good news.

Carl Jung had this saying that is quoted often in my workshops and coaching sessions:

Jung was talking about the shadow, particularly the dark shadow. If someone rubs you the wrong way, like when you get an emotional reaction observing their behaviour or a trait, it means that something inside of you is being projected for you to look at. Your subconscious is saying, “Hey, look at this. You have to stop ignoring this and deal with that which is in you.”

You have that same trait but are denying its presence in you. The shadow represents everything about your personality that you don’t want to admit to having. People will only refer to those bad traits they see in others, and then claim, “I am not that!”

Did you know that there is a light shadow too?

They are the positive traits that are hidden in the light shadow, that you think are not you. Look at your list again.

For each of those words you wrote down and circled, add in front of it and say, “I am…”

You may at this point find it hard to believe but you do have those traits and much more. You have been underestimating your gifts and talents for too long.

At one time in your life, you used to express those traits. For whatever reason, you decided that they were not good to have, and put them back into the closet.

The greatest gift that you could give yourself is to allow those traits to shine again. To be the whole you again; the authentic you.

Those traits that you admire in others that you think are not in you to express are found outside your comfort zone. Being outside of your comfort zone also presents you with uncertainty and potential failure! Experiences most people do not like, so we avoid them.

Being outside your comfort zone is like writing with the wrong hand or crossing your arms the opposite way than you would typically. It will feel awkward, very much “not like you.”

You were meant to be whole and have your authentic self shine.

By embracing and claiming those traits from your light shadow side, you will not only ‘be that person,’ you always wanted to be. You will also shine your light onto others as a demonstration that if you could do it, they even could too.

What would be the greatest gift to give yourself?

That greatest gift is YOU.

The whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, passionate, focused full of grace YOU.

Your family needs the whole YOU.

Your community needs the whole YOU.

Your country needs the whole YOU.

The world needs the whole YOU.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.”

Marianne Williamson

RICK RUPPENTHAL is a professional Personal and Leadership Transformational Coach and a Certified Change Practitioner. As a retired paramedic of 30 years, Rick has held positions in leadership, education, as a coach and a mentor. Through those experiences, understanding, and adaptability, Rick has dedicated his life to a continual journey of self-discovery, adventure, and guiding others on their own journey of being their best self.

PS
Yes there is more!
To learn more about your personality and how you may shine brighter in 2020, join me in my new workshop, The Foundation for Self-Discovery, starting in January.