The Danger of “Only”
Often when I ask someone why they haven’t reached out to someone at a significantly higher level than them, their response goes something like:
Well, I’m only a _______ why would they even listen to me?
The word “only” is like a termite that constantly is tearing away at the foundation of the things that we want most in our life. Take a moment to think about how many times that word creeps into your vocabulary and keeps you from doing something. Here are some examples:
I’ve only been doing this job for one year.
I’m only 16 years old.
I’m the only person who gets depressed
It’s only one day not working on the thing I love.
Notice how, in each of these situations, the power is drained from the individual speaking the words. The word “only” can be very dangerous if we let it sneak into our sentences. The truth of the matter is that we are never only _________. There is more to us than we ever realize or give ourselves credit for, because it’s natural to shy away from owning our power. If we did, we might think that we are bragging. The voices inside our head whisper:
Who do you think you are?
The only acceptable reply to this is:
Who do you KNOW you are?
Every time you downgrade yourself, you clear the way for someone else to get closer to the thing that you want most. Every time that you decide that you are not worthy of something, you step aside and let someone skip ahead of you in the line. Why do that to yourself?
Take some time this week to keep track of how many times you say the word “only”. You may be surprised at the amount of self-sabotage that is happening right under your nose.
Termites.
You have something incredible to contribute to this world and there are people who are waiting to help you. They can’t do anything though until you speak up and let them know what you need.
Eliminate “only” and you’ll see your obstacles in a completely different light.
Go ahead, give it a shot.
And remember . . .
There’s never only one chance to do this.
You have this opportunity EVERY day.
Grab it.
Excelsior!
