The Only Thing In My Way Is Me

“There is no one for me to blame,

’cause the only thing in my way,

is me”

This week we came across Mandy Harvey’s original song performed on America’s Got Talent and felt compelled to share it. Given the way social media works, chances are you have seen some or all of it already… but it’s worth another listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSWXzAnVe0

In case you haven’t watched it, here’s a quick summary of Mandy’s story:

• She has been singing since she was 4 years old
• About 10 years ago she fell ill with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, lost her hearing and subsequently gave up singing
• She recently decided she still wanted to sing and was going to do it anyway

Based on that summary – the singing itself is nearly irrelevant (although it is beautiful, if you still haven’t clicked play – give it a listen). The very fact that Mandy decided that she was tired of accepting the way things were is what inspired us to write about it.

Our life can easily become a product of the environment around us. The smaller stuff like choosing a bar for a Friday night drink because it’s the one closest to home or wanting to put down the ice cream because of the endless photos of fitness models on Instagram. The same applies to the even bigger stuff like working a job just because it ticks some boxes.

What if we took Mandy’s lead and chose the life we wanted and let the environment be a product of our choices? Choose a bar for a Friday night drink because it will be memorable. Work in a job that you excel at, that excites you. The first step to making these choices, which we too often don’t leave time for, is self-reflection:

What do we actually want to do? Who do we want to be? What do we aspire to?

Let us know… do you have anything you used to do as a child and wish you still did now?