How many of us are in our present circumstances based on things we were taught as children? Some of those things might have been ingrained into our mind for a reason, such as safety. But, now that we're adults, are any of the old rules subconsciously holding us back?

I know a woman who had a little girl named Heather, a blonde haired, blue eyed exuberant child who pushed her limits. Now, a mother's job is to protect her daughter from injury and danger. Boundaries were set, as they should be. When Heather turned five, she wanted to ride her bike out of the driveway. They lived in a small subdivision with no sidewalks, and mom wanted to be able to see her at all times. She told her she could go as far as the stop sign, which was two houses away. The rule was when Heather saw the stop sign, she would "Stop and Go Home".

The rule worked great; Heather always turned around at the stop sign and came back home. About a year later, they were headed on a trip - packed the suitcases, buckled the kids in, and took off. An hour into their travels, they stopped at an intersection. As they were waiting for their turn to go, Heather said, "Oh no! Now we gotta go home". She'd seen the stop sign, and it had been ingrained into her head that it really meant "STOP and go home"!

Now, the word Stop means do not go progress - do not move forward - immediately discontinue the action at hand. When we were children, "stops" were given to us for our safety and well being. But, now that we're grown up, how many of us still use "stops" as a safety net? What devices that were used to keep us safely within our boundaries are we hanging on to that prevents us from advancing?

How often do people begin to get close to realizing their dreams, to changing their lives, and they hit a "stop sign"? Maybe they "stop" because there isn't enough money to take the next step, or they are afraid to leave the certain safety and security of their current job to change careers - the fear of the unknown. What will happen when you cross the boundaries that have been ingrained into your thinking?

When you hit a stop, you have two choices: One: Stop, do not move forward, do not pass go. Stay with the familiar and remain at status quo. Two: Find that little nudge, that hand in the small of your back, which gently pushes you to take the first step beyond your present boundaries, for with each step you take, you are that much closer to achieving your goals and the realizing your dreams.

Try to look at all the stop signs, and obstacles in your life as positives. They are opportunities to push your limits, and find a way to move forward. They are momentary pauses on the path to success!

Keep movin', and keep smilin'..