Overcome the barriers
When we were little it comes to curiosity..what’s here? what’s there? it start with first step, we would fall. we get up. now what? We start looking for another adventure to discover.
I discovered after re-locating to new country that in order for me to adapt I have to communicate. Communicate with new culture, communicate with unknown for me circumstances, communicate with significant to people, communicate at new job. But how to do it clear and right? Nobody teaches us these tools, at school, colleges, tv, radio, you already expect to communicate your thoughts, emotions and translate like you know what is it mean. What if it doesn’t mean anything at all?Or you don’t understand how and where to learn the skills of your self presentation, establishing, getting constructive feedback and honing your self-expression skills to be better communicator at home and at your professional life.
I start asking myself these questions, it not just me wondering about it ?Right? And while I was reading a book by Tim Ferris //Tribe of Mentors"// i was impressed by reading stories about all these greatest athletes,actors, champions, TV personalities, authors, motivational speakers - question in my head was -where and how did they learn how to be a great leader, communicator, someone great without define start or blue print to be successful ? I want to know!
Digging dipper into some of their biographies I find out that ALL of them, every single top notch influencer had higher then fence barriers to be who they become today and books of which we read. Someone learnt from scratch how to walk again, some started working out, some collaborated, someone perused stupid ideas that later become a solution's for our daily life, someone learnt how to master their culinary skills, someone invented a currency, some challenged themselves and pushing every day being out of their comfort zone, some got back to school, some started asking questions. They all were humble to start somewhere, start over and over and over to learn how to be who they desire. They all start with 1 small step- that step is “ to try”.
My participation at Toastmasters International is not an incident, it well aligned with my mission to contribute & influence people. Later i become a President of one the the Club in Minneosta. But first i did not know it exist until i start asking questions: “ where could i practice my public skills?”, “who already doing motivational speeches?”, “where did they learned it?”. I knew to be a great speaker is the best tool to reach out to one person or the whole entire nation is -a word. Public speaking is powerful. It could lift you up and/or bring you down. Just about 8 years ago I didn’t have this mission. I was more concern about what should I do with my life and who I want to become. So my one thousand miles journey started with one step, to where I am now it took only 8 years, 6,000 miles from home and 1 suitcase. And if you noticed I did not add or mentioned “barriers” that made me who I am today. For a very simple explanation, I had a different interpretation of this word.
This post made me wonder what if I would be treated and interpreted “barriers” as an “obstacle” VS “opportunities”. What if I let “barriers” stop me and slow me down VS making me personally grow. I would miss so much in life. I would never run half marathon. I would never learn three other languages. I would never visit 25 countries on 4 continents. And none of the above achievements happened without “barriers”: I had fears, not enough competency, language barrier (even while I am typing this post), cultural acceptance, being out of my comfort zone. It all comes to how you interpret things.
When I see the “barrier” I see an opportunity for self-growth.
