Self Limitation Harms You and Robs the World

Have you ever stopped to think about how putting limits on yourself affects not only you, but also those you love and care about.  These limitations even penetrate further into society than just those around you, but also into the millions of lives you may have changed if you had only tried.  You see there is a consequence to every action as we all know, but most of us tend to forget about the consequences that happen due to our inaction.  If we choose to think small, always playing it safe and never going for what we feel we are destined for in this life, we are ultimately arguing with God when He states “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11, and again Jesus makes the statement that “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10.  If He notes that He desires for us to have life in abundance, real true abundance, then why don’t we try to live that way.  We have to take the talents and the ambitions that we are given and apply them in the best and most fruitful way we can in order to have abundant life.

As stated earlier, our thinking small and not taking a risk will ultimately not only restrict us, but it carries forward to our children and into society as a whole.  For a moment think about Christopher Columbus sailing for weeks, running out of food, listening to the men on board complaining and the folks back home saying he was crazy.  Think about what would have happened if he had said to himself “this is too hard, I can’t do it”.  If he had made that choice Americaprobably still would have been “discovered” by someone else, but it could possibly be an entirely different makeup at this point, just based on one man’s decision to act.  He knew there was risk, but if he didn’t take the chance what would have become of the future United States?  Another example that I love about how our decisions impact society much more than we know comes from Andy Andrews book The Traveler’s Gift.  In the book he tells of a teacher fromMaine named Joshua Chamberlain.  Listen to the story of Col. Chamberlain below:

After this point, Andy goes on to say that according to historical experts, had Chamberlain not acted that day, but instead given in to the fear of losing, the Union probably would have lost the battle ofGettysburg.  Historians also agree that had that happened the Confederacy would have probably won the Civil War.  Even further, historians also agree that had that happened, theUnited Stateswould look much more likeEuropetoday.  TheUnited Statesas we know it would not exist.  There would be no American Dream.  Our world would be different because the most prosperous and powerful nation in the world would not exist.  All this could have changed with one decision to not act, by one man, in one situation.

Don’t ever fool yourself into believing that what you do or don’t do is not important!  Take the chance!  Live the life you were designed to live and take the chains of self-imposed limits off!  The world needs you!