Breaking the Speed Limit.
From the day we were born, our life’s path was driven by expectations of our parents, extended families, schools, peers, cultures and society. We were expected to lead a defined life, make traditional choices, go down historic routes. Veering off that path was not negotiable despite our soul screaming to be released.
We then arrive at the 2nd half of our life and look back in disbelief at our lack of courage. Why was I not brave enough to follow my heart?
Some of the best inventive moments are born out of wrong thinking. Most of us start the right way, and we follow the same path. The wrong way will lead to mistakes from which we learn and create discoveries, the kind of original ideas that come to life when we keep an open mind and have no fear of failure.
Whenever we do anything new, there’s the risk that we might not succeed, and often the journey to success isn’t a straight line. We can fail very publicly and dramatically as long as we get back up, move past the mistake, and achieve outcomes beyond what we may ever imagine is possible.
Akio Morita: His first invention was an awful rice cooker that burned rice, which, unsurprisingly, wasn’t a commercial success. But he kept at it and his little gadget company “Sony” became a household name.
What if we look silly, fail, land flat on our face? Well, we might do it sometimes. And if it happens, the best thing to do is to pick ourselves up, spend some time in the reflect and learn space, and ask ourselves what, with the benefit of hindsight, we could have done differently to achieve a more successful outcome.
Know that we’ve done our best and that at least we gave it a go. This may feel like very little consolation, but breaking the speed limit is like learning how to do anything else. We may stumble, but we will survive, pick ourselves up, and resolve to try again another day.
What sets us apart can sometimes feel like a burden and it’s not. And a lot of the time, it’s what makes us great. When we embrace our difference, our DNA, our look or heritage or religion or our unusual name, that’s when we start to shine.
It is a motto that encourages us to think for ourselves and not just follow others. If what the others were doing was wrong and they wanted us to join them, then breaking our speed limit means don’t join in and don’t give in to peer pressure
Breaking the speed limits means we stand out, which is a good thing in a world where everyone is trying to blend in. It means we’re interesting because we are different. It means we are less restricted by what’s comfortable, able to explore new ground, not afraid of things because we don’t know about them.
People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think that the most liberating thing about beauty is realising that we are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.
Breaking the speed limit means embracing our strengths and giving ourselves more credit for our skills. It is banishing those negative thoughts about our flaws. It is our opportunity to finally liberate ourselves from the shackles of the past.