"A man's got to know his limitations."
– Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force
There’s a lot of kissy-huggy pyschobabble out there that says limitations are only in your head. Bullpuckies! We ALL have limitations. I will never be as drop-dead gorgeous as Grace Kelly or have the I.Q. of Stephan Hawking – it's just not going to happen.
Being honest with ourselves and accepting that we have limitations is the first step in dealing with them. We all have limitations based on size, age and general ability. There is no one on the face of the Earth without issues, problems, aches, pains, groans, apprehensions, and/or fears. But instead of being embarrassed or angry, we should be clear about them and embrace them.
Once you accept that you have a particular limitation, the next thing you need to do is learn to work with it. Have you ever watched the Paralympics? There are people playing basketball in wheelchairs and swimming without limbs. How do they do it? They don’t mope – they get creative. They have accepted their limitations and found other ways to deal with them.
For many people, limitations are a fuzzy line. Sometimes we are more limited than we realize because we put limitations on ourselves. Maybe attitude, fear or worry is making something bigger in your head than it actually is. So, instead of saying, "I can't do ___ ," ask yourself, "How can I do it another way?"
Life has a habit of tripping us, kicking us and challenging us. But without challenges, it wouldn't be fun or worthwhile. Just because you have limitations, doesn't mean there is no opportunity to improve. Get creative and compete with yourself instead of measuring yourself against others. The more you push yourself, the more respect you'll have for yourself and the more other people will respect and admire you too.
