This past weekend was my son's birthday party and he wanted to go rock climbing. Fortunately this was not outside in Ontario in February, but in a well equipped climbing gym just a few miles down the road. A few of his friends and he had been before and then there were a couple including my daughter who had never climbed.
The gym had recently been the location for a qualifier tournament for a national championship and they had not had the chance to re-set many of the holds and rocks and so I was told that the kids might find it difficult.
What we did not do was tell them.
They approached the climbs with enthusiasm, passion and ultimately belief that as they had done it before they were going to do it again.
What was more interesting was that without pre-conceived notions those that had not done it before did not even question level of difficulty, they just gave it a try. When they found out that it was okay they just kept trying, climbing higher and higher.
Far too often we approach something new, like personally branding ourselves, with skepticism and pessimism – its not going to work, its too hard, it involves change.
Rather you should look at it as an opportunity to try something new, look for the positive lessons that others around you experience and ultimately get yourself to new heights.
Like rock climbing it can be easy to start, try a couple of routes that are not too difficult, get a hold on your abilities and then stretch for the harder climb.
Brilliant illustration and powerful message Paul!