I have come to believe the greatest limitations are the self imposed limitations we place upon ourselves.
Many times these are created when we are young by well meaning and caring people who are trying to protect us. One example being we may have been often told "Don't get your hopes up" and so we learn to live like that.
When I moved away from a violent relationship with two children aged 1 and 3 we had to live in a very deprived area for a few years. Living in a complex of notorious flats with two little bedwetters, no washing machine, no garden to hang out the dripping sheets which I could only afford to wash in the bath was challenging but that was how it was.
Although I was desparately short of money my life was rich because I had two beautiful, happy children, a heart full of hope and a dream to get them a little terraced house in a nice, safe area.
Yes, hope, counting your blessings and having a dream are wonderful tools for life and nobody can take those away from you.
Three years later we moved into a rented house in a much nicer area where many professional people lived. This gave me the opportunity to offer an ironing and cleaning service to people who were busy with their careers.
Now we had a lovely garden, fresh fruit and vegetables, a washing machine and two second hand bikes that my children rode through tree lined pathways each day when I took and collected them from school. We were living our dream
Here's what I hadn't discovered at that time. Books like "As a man thinketh"
It was some years later that I discovered "the good books" as I call them. The books full of successful principles. Little by little I began to realise that by changing the way I thought, I could change and improve our lives.
With each little success my confidence and belief in myself grew. Now, everyday I wake up and I'm living the big dream (but that's in another thread somewhere)
I know there are people starving in the world and here's a little story I relate to this situation.
"Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went.
As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached, the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.
As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference."
The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"
I may never be able to save the world, feed all the starving people or help solve everyone's problems. One thing I have learned is, I'll never do them or me any good by watching and feeling sorry for them.
However if I sponsor one at a time, make consistent small donations and others do the same, together we can make a difference to many. I wish you peace, happiness and an abundance of good thoughts
