Do you want to hear inspirational stories of everyday people, doing everyday things that are extraordinary for them? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
I’m very excited about sharing my series of ‘Stories from the pot of gold’! Ordinary people, who have overcome their own fears and self-doubt, to achieve a personal goal or dream. I want to celebrate their success with you to show you that if you manage your rainbow, then the pot at the end of your rainbow is achievable. You just need self-belief and confidence mixed with a good dose of planning, focused action and courage.
That was very true for a lovely lady I know called, Margaret! When Margaret was 5 years old she had a really bad experience with water! She was at her local swimming pool and a larrikin thought it would be great fun to push her in to the deep end. Margaret hit the water with a splash! Her whole body went straight under the water. She thrashed about for what felt like an eternity trying to get to the surface.
Thankfully, Margaret did surface, but she was having a panic attack, gasping for air. Poor Margaret could so easily have drowned. Luckily someone saw what had happened and they plucked her to safety from the pool.
This experience really shook young Margaret and it left her with a huge fear of putting her head under water. The fear sat as a tight fist in the pit of her stomach. The thought made her panic so much that it impacted her ability to swim properly. The only way she could swim was to thrash her head from side to side, desperately trying to avoid her head going in the water.
Margaret felt very self-conscious of how this looked to other people. It all became too difficult and she gave up trying to swim properly. She avoided going anywhere near a swimming pool.
This fear and doubt impacted Margaret for some time until she realised that she didn’t want it to engulf her life. So, she quite courageously set herself a goal of swimming 25m of her local pool with her head under water. She knew this was something she couldn’t do on her own, so she signed up for swimming lessons at her local pool. In Margaret’s own words; “This took me completely out of my comfort zone and while the Swimming Instructor was good, I believe I challenged her patience at times!”
The reason being! Margaret’s fear was raw and overwhelming! But you know what? She persevered and very slowly her confidence returned in the water. She began to overcome the doubt and fear! I’m pleased to report that last year Margaret achieved her goal! She swam 25m of her local pool with head under water – Woohoo, go Margaret!!!
This story may not seem like a big deal for the majority of us who have no issues with water. But to Margaret this was a huge accomplishment! Her family were very proud of her! Do you know what’s even more amazing about this story? Margaret overcame her fear at the age of 72! She lived 67 years of her life in fear of putting her head under water. Wow, what an inspirational lady and it just goes to show that we all have the ability to achieve anything we want in life at any age.
Some of you may be able to relate to Margaret’s fear when you think about a time in your own life when you doubted yourself. So, take inspiration from her story! You can overcome fear and self-doubt and achieve your goals and dreams too! Sometimes the only real barrier is your own limited thinking around what you believe you are personally capable of.
Thank you to Margaret for giving me permission to share her story of success! I hope you found it inspiring and feel free to share it to bring a little inspiration to someone you know. It could just make a difference! Also, if you have your own story of achievement to share, I’d love for you to contact me by email – dream@managemyrainbow.com.au or via my Contact Page
I’m Allan Bennett! I’m managing my rainbow and I would love to help you manage yours. So, connect with me today for a FREE Discovery Chat, and take a step closer to the pot at the end of your rainbow.
Enjoy your journey until next time!
