Don’t Stop Believing
March 2014 Insights
The other day my 11 year old daughter very candidly asked me if I knew whether or not Harvard University has a dance program. When I asked why she wanted to know she simply responded by saying that “since I plan to attend Harvard after I graduate high school, I’m hoping to still be able to dance, because you know mom that really is my true passion and though I don’t want to be a professional dancer I still want to be able to “seriously” dance.”
Wow, was all I could think! Of course as her mother it’s my job to support and encourage her but at the same time I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe I should sit down with her and gently explain that the likelihood of her getting in Harvard University was pretty slim while at the same time maintaining a rigorous dance program would certainly be biting off more than one can chew.
This really got me thinking as there have been so many similar like conversations I have had recently with Jesse. All having to do one way or another with this incredible theme of enthusiasm and zest she has for her life. As a women’s life coach who specializes in helping women tap into their inner potential and break through their plateaus, I cannot help but stop and wonder when is it in our lives we start putting limitations on ourselves. I remember reading sometime ago in my developmental psych books, that somewhere around age 10, a girl’s self-esteem begins to plummet. Suddenly, girls become self-conscious and vulnerable to limiting themselves. What a shame! I think maybe the onset of some of those self-doubts could have to do with all the hormonal shifts we experience through puberty but more likely it’s a direct result of underlining messages we receive from adults and the media. Somewhere along the line young girls stop believing in their dreams.
It saddens me, I wish somehow I can grab hold of that time in our lives when we were young and feel invincible and sprinkle it like fairy dust on all the women near and dear to me. Yeah, I know easier said than done. I’ll be the first one to tell you there is no magic pill or silver bullet BUT whose to say we should stop believing in our dreams.
That’s where I have to draw the line. Yes, it may take a lot of hard work, stepping out of our comfort zones and experiencing many setbacks but there is no reason not to believe that our ambitions can be our realities! I know this to be true not only on a personal level but professionally have the awesome opportunity to partner with women to assist them in making their “dreams” come true, secure more happiness in their lives and live a life of greater purpose.
So maybe there is no fairy dust after all but as Dr.Seuss says so well “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” That Dr. Seuss was on to something!
Wishing You Well
-Holly-