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I just got a new pair of Jordan sneakers, and inside the box was a postcard. On it was a quote from Michael Jordan that said:

“Limits, like fears, are often an illusion.”

Exactly.

Far too many of us see limits all around us. We see limits in ourselves, and we see limits in others. We see structural limits in our organizations and in our societies.  We have limiting beliefs and then we end up letting other people believe them as well.

Sure, some of these limits are real. Sometimes external forces really do limit individuals from success because of race, gender, and equity.  We can’t dismiss those challenges, and as a society we need to see and overcome them too.

But far too many limits are illusions. We see them in the here and now, and we feel like our strength and our leadership can’t easily manifest overcoming them. But you can overcome them, because they aren’t real.

You might not be able to reach that mountaintop (yet). You might not be able to implement that strategy and build that community (yet). You might not be able to see the bright light of success (yet).  But you will never get past those limits if you believe they are real. If you are afraid of them.

There are people who will tell you limits are real. Don’t believe them.  Believe in yourself. You have nothing to be afraid of.

The great Michael Jordan first set this thought adrift in my consciousness in his basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

He closed by saying, "One day you may look up and see me playing the game at 50." And as the audience laughed, he said, "Oh, don't laugh, don't laugh. Because limits, like fears, are often just illusions!"

We all hear those laughs sometimes. Perhaps they're out loud or maybe they take the form of a sideways glance that speaks volumes, saying, "you can't do that." Sometimes the laughs are our own, when our performance falls short of what we expected of ourselves.

The trick is to truly believe that limits, like fears, are just illusions. To walk this Michael Jordan walk, you'll need to keep these four things in mind.

1. Setbacks are always temporary. Have the attitude that setbacks are merely short-term bumps in the road. View your setbacks as gifts. They are what will revitalize your commitment to what you want to achieve, and reassess what you are willing to sacrifice to make it happen. We are all open books of possibilities and none of us really know how good we are until we stop improving... so setbacks are the necessary roadwork for the ultimate victory.
2. Don't get caught in the getting better to being bitter trap. Fear and limitations can easily shift your mindset from one focused on being better to one consumed with being bitter. Bitter is where improvement stops. Bitter plays the victim and the blame game. It's always THE OTHER GUY's fault. The OTHER GUY didn't give me a chance or isn't invested in my success. There are endless OTHER GUY excuses that cause us to give up control of our future to others. But, when we keep the control within ourselves, we can and do achieve what we dream.
3. Embrace other people as your "swim buddies". Limit- and fear-busting is hard work and we need buddies along the way so we don't drown, to know we are not alone, and that others are there to celebrate our successes. It is easy to miss how many people are pulling for you, are impacted by your setbacks, and truly happy for your success. Let those folks in.