Something that I try to impart on the gymnasts I teach when they are trying new things or striving to achieve a skill they’ve been working on for a while, is that they have two choices;  they can either believe that they can, or believe that they can’t, and to be mindful that whichever choice they allow their brain to make, it will almost certainly end up being their truth. 

I get that this is a tough lesson for an 8 or 9 year old to fully understand but it is my hope that by offering life lessons and food for thought to their sponge-like brains, such as this one, I can help a child to realise their dreams.  By encouraging them to challenge their fears, doubts and the negative voices, and instead help them focus on visions of success, positivity and self belief in achieving what they set out to, I have planted a seed in their minds, that just maybe, anything is possible. 

While many adults may undersrand this concept, actually realising the power of self belief, of putting stuff ‘out into the universe’ and of refusing to ‘see’ or believe in any alternate outcome to a specific dream or goal, seems much more difficult to grasp. And therefore many of our grown-up ideas and dreams end up merely as ‘what ifs?’ or ‘wouldn’t that be nice?’ or ‘I couldn’t possibly do that’. 

But what if you could? What if there was nothing holding you back? What if someone gave you permission to believe? 

How would it feel to know that there might be the slightest chance that the dreams and goals you have kept hidden for so long could come true or be achieved? I reckon it would feel pretty amazing, liberating even and maybe a little scary too. 

So can I let you into a little secret? In the words of my very favourite film, the Wizard of Oz:

‘You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just have to learn it for yourself‘.’

You may notice that I used a little poetic licence on the tense in the quote. Apologies Mr Baum. You see, it’s not enough to merely want something, desire an outcome or to consider alternates as options for what we hope to achieve. We must be able to really see our dreams, clear as day in our minds, in our thoughts and when we close our eyes at night. We have to truly believe in them; with our whole heart and talk about them with passion and energy and enthusiasm, sometimes to the extent which others may never understand and may even think a little crazy, odd, strange or otherwise.

I have my personal goals and dreams written on the mirror in which I do my make up every morning. Having them there reminds me everyday of what I’m striving for. I also have a pen next to my shower to capture my thoughts as they happen; I have a chalk board in my kitchen with positive words to help keep me on track; I have quotes and words of inspiration all around my house to help steer me in the right direction if I start to lose my way.  But probably most important or all, is that I don’t ever give myself the option of a plan b. 

I have set myself some pretty big goals in the last few years of my life and with very few exceptions, I have achieved every one of them, and its pretty safe to say that I am not done yet. In fact I know I have only scratched the surface on what I know I am going  to achieve in this lifetime. 

So don’t be afraid to let your brain wander to what seems like the wildest of places; let yourself imagine what might have once seemed impossible; give yourself permission to dream and don’t just believe that you can…

…know that you will. 

People often tell me that they get exhausted just hearing about all of the things that I manage to fit into a 24 hour period and that I maybe I should try relaxing once in a while.  It is true, I live a very busy life and every so often I do hit a wall and have to stop and recharge my batteries…just so that I can do it all over again. 

The truth is, I love being busy and I would be bored in a heartbeat if my life was anything other than it is – completely crazy. 

So what makes it so busy? There’s my business (which I’m sure is still categorised as small, but with a team of 30 and programs that run 7 days a week, I would happily argue that even a small business takes a massive effort to run by all involved and that there are no real days off when you’re the boss). 

There’s my six year old who operates very similarly to me, either at full speed or fast asleep and the transition is often instantaneous and definitely dependent of being vertical or horizontal. 

Then there’s exercise, which for the most part I enjoy and do as regularly as I can, but which sometimes is a chore and a bore and therefore something I have an aversion to at times; however I am very conscious not to subject the ‘not exercised for a week’ version of George on anyone whom I hold dear, as I really value the friendships I have and do not wish to drive those close to me (or anyone else for that matter) away with my monster-like demeanour.

Then there is the two books I am writing, the house I’m trying to pack up, the website I’m building, the toy I’m inventing, the business consultancy career I’m trying to begin, the Spanish I’m learning and the moving of two gyms in two weeks that I’m planning; oh and don’t forget that in 11 weeks, I’ll be running my business from another henishephere! And breathe….

…then there is my brain. 

I am quite comfortable saying that I have a love/hate relationship with my brain a lot of the time. I love that it can conjure up the most amazing thoughts and ideas, often instantaneously. I love that it supports my inner belief that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I love its tenacity and its seemingly endless ability to see the good in life and in people, and I love that it chooses to ‘love’ like it’s never been hurt, over and over again. 

However, I do not love that it challenges absolutely everything; and I’m not a fan of the million and one questions that it throws at me every hour of every day, or that it races from 6.27 in the morning when my first alarm goes off until I fall asleep to the ‘not quite loud enough to hear what’s actually being said, but loud enough to drown out my thoughts long enough to allow me to fall asleep‘ tv in my bedroom more often than not at around midnight.  I don’t very much care for the emotional roller coaster that it takes me on regularly; and I would be quite happy if my beautiful and brilliant brain never uttered another self doubting or negative word about me ever again, but I also know that is highly unlikely.  I suppose you have to take the good with the bad. 

Through all of this, I am grateful for the brain I have and thankful for the courage that it gives me. Courageous enough to let me chase after every one of my dreams (and there are many), knowing that there is a chance of failure or of falling down, but giving me the strength to get back up again if I am to falter. Courageous enough to enable me to try again if I don’t succeed the first time, or the second or the third; and courageous enough to allow me to ‘see‘ my own success long before I ever achieve it. 

So even though, at times my brain is my worst enemy, I wouldn’t change it for the world because it is the reason I am who I am and the reason I can truly be whatever I dare to dream to be. 

G x