Kicking the Door Down
By: Nutritionist S. Keith Klein IV CN CCN

When I saw this picture, all I could think of was, wow, that animal has no fear, has total confidence, and isn’t hesitating to take that humongous leap. What a great way to go after a goal! When it comes to setting goals you need to let go of any thought that you might fail. Instead, ask yourself, “what would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?” Then realize the only one holding you back from being successful is you.

Imagine a reality where the fear of failure no longer exists. It opens up a world of possibilities, as we’re no longer held back by the possibility of things not going according to plan. Failure doesn’t matter in this mindset because we’re able to approach our goals with a sense of freedom and possibility. When we remove the fear of failure, we’re able to take risks, be more creative, and explore paths we may have never considered before. Failure becomes just another step in the process, rather than the roadblock it’s always been in our lives. Ultimately, living in a world without failure can help us uncover our true passions and potential, and inspire us to pursue them without reservation.

I’ll never forget one particular piece of advice my father told me when I was young, and it’s stayed with me ever since. He said, “son, there are those who will never see the door and walk right past it. Others will see it but be too afraid to go through it. Then you’ll find others that go through the door but have no idea what to do once they go through, so they give up and run back out. But you know, the extraordinary people in life are the ones that not only see the door, but they kick it down, go through it without a fear of failing, and discover a whole new life on the other side of the door.”

Part of being able to live life to its fullest means having the courage to pursue your dreams, to take risks, and to embrace the unknown. People like that are why we have so many modern advances, such as computers, cell phones, microwave ovens, and cat scans, which are inventions that have changed the world. Not all of us will change the world, but all of us can change our world if we want too. No one is stuck. You change your world when you bring a new child into it. You change your world when you change your mindset for the better. It’s that way when you lose weight and keep it off. Any of us can change our world whenever we want. You just have to be able to see that door.

Courage is having the strength and bravery to face your fears. It is the ability to act in the face of adversity, despite feeling afraid or uncertain about the outcome. Courageous individuals are willing to take risks and make sacrifices to pursue their goals, to stand up for what they believe in, and to do what they know is right, even in the face of opposition and resistance. Courage can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, from standing up to a bully, to speaking out against injustice, to risking one’s own safety to help others in need.

Losing weight can be a challenging and difficult process that requires a great deal of courage to change. By confronting the truth about one’s current appearance, their relationships, changes in lifestyle habits, dealing with setbacks and obstacles, and facing social pressures, losing weight and keeping it off demonstrates tremendous courage and perseverance.

Most of us need the courage to take that leap. Have faith that we will learn something even when we fail…especially when we fail. When you lose whatever fear you’ve been holding onto, you take that leap of courage to change. And when you change one thing and discover that new world and what it holds, it will create more courage to change something else. This is how we avoid stagnation and continue to grow during our life. Remember, small changes so long as they are sustainable always lead to bigger changes. I wasn’t referring only to food; I was referring to anything you want to change in your life.

Copyright 2022 S. Keith Klein IV CN CCN