The Wonderful, Inspiring and Liberating Pursuit of Happiness
By Alissa Geuring
Once upon a time there was a little girl who was told she could not do something because she was not old enough. Her mother told that person that her daughter will and can do anything that she puts her mind to it. That little girl was me. And I grew up to have an amazing life. I am a mom, I have a wonderful career and work two jobs (not by need, but by passion), and I am going to school for my PhD. I still have time to make room for anyone to listen. I still have time to be a caring person to anyone who needs it. I will never say ”I do not have time”. I will still have time to make time for myself – although I sometimes need to be creative about it. What about you ?
You’ve Heard This Before, it’s a Lot About Attitude
I live a full and abundant life. I am truly happy! What makes me not so happy is to see others push their limits on me or even others. I constantly hear – how do you have time for all this or when do you have time to be a mom. I constantly hear things like – you want to do what??? – Good luck with that! Sometimes, I find myself guilty of doing this with my own children: telling them ”no, you cannot do that” or ”you are too young”. And even with them, I ask myself: why am I limiting the capabilities of someone I am not?
Limiting Yourself, and Limiting Others
One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing others put limits on others. In one of my favorite movies a young dancer is told she can never be a great dancer because of her feet. At the end of the movie she steals the stage with her dancing. You can do anything that you put your mind to. No one else should limit what you believe to do. I was told just recently that I could not teach a class, because I had no credibility. I have taught the class before; the class knew my name before I even went into the class. I am going to teach this class and it will rock! I know my limits. I know I will always test these limits.
Push Your Boundaries and Let Your Dreams Grow
It is my belief that everyone should test their own limits and not listen to the ones that are super imposed on them by others. If you have a drive and a passion for doing something or trying something, try it!!! I am slowly starting to learn to push back on others who put limits on me. I look at why they are doing this. Do they have a personal vested interest in my own life, progress in life, or passion for my life, or are they saying it because it is what they believe or have been told to believe? You decide!
Attitude is a Lot About: Deciding To Do It, And Doing It
We are at a time where we can do anything, push ourselves farther, and set our own boundaries. I am certainly not saying it will be easy or there will not be any hard work, but I can tell you this: if you beat those barriers that are in the way of your awesome goals, you will certainly be happy. How you’ll do it? This is a part of the puzzle and the game of life . How can you make your desires, your passion, your life happen? Let us know in the comments below!
About Alissa
Alissa Geurink is the director of the Women’s Wellness University. Her motto is that anything is possible if you use a little imagination, creativity, and perserverance. She is currently studying for her PhD in Education. She lives in Madison Wisconsin with her husband, Josh, 2 adorable little kiddos, and 3 fluffy cats.