what is really holding you back?

what is holding you back?

really,

not the answer you give because it sounds good. not the circumstances you can point to. not what someone else did.

what is keeping you from moving?

we make it much more complicated than it is.

we say we don’t have enough time.

we don’t have enough money.

we’re waiting for the right time.

we’re too busy.

we need to figure things out first.

and those things can be genuinely true, but underneath all of that, there is something simpler.

we’re scared.

scared we’ll make the wrong choice.

scared we’ll disappoint someone.

scared we’ll fail.

scared we’ll succeed.

scared to leave what is familiar even when familiar isn’t making us happy.

and sometimes we’re not even scared.

we’re comfortable.

that’s a hard one to admit.

because staying where you are can feel safer than the unknown.

so you keep thinking about change. you talk about it. you read about it. you plan for it. you tell yourself you’ll do it when the time is right.

months go by. maybe years.

this why the pause is so important.

pausing is the most honest thing you can do. you stop long enough to ask: what am i really waiting for? what am i afraid of? what am i holding onto?

and the biggest question: what would i do if i stopped talking myself out of what i already know?

because when you stop running from the question, you’ll discover you already know the answer.

what is holding you back?

and more importantly…

are you willing to stop holding yourself there?