I mean, literally – there is much we can learn from Gareth Southgate’s just-released autobiography Anything is Possible: Be Brave, Be Kind & Follow Your Dreams and we’d do well to pay attention to the England Football Team Manager this week, because he has some important lessons to share.
As the footballing legend himself said: “If I can go from a skinny introverted teenager who was told he wouldn’t make it as a player to someone who played for and managed his country then I’m clear that anything is possible”
Gareth’s new book is about Inspiring young people to follow their dreams and is written in conjunction with the Princes Trust. He openly admits that he was afraid of accepting the England Manager role and that FEAR was preventing him from making the decision to take on the challenge.
We all know the most common acronyms for FEAR, don’t we?
Perhaps you’ve always believed it stood for False Evidence Appearing Real?
Or maybe you’re more familiar with the acronym Forget Everything And Run?
Either way, they’re not particularly helpful ways to look at &/or address FEAR, are they?
Yet, I’m sure many of us can relate to the trepidation Southgate talks about in the book. Perhaps we’ve held back, allowing self-doubt to take over and as a result, haven’t taken on an opportunity or risen to the challenge, for fear of failure or rejection?
But what about the other meanings for FEAR…
How about Feeling Excited And Ready?
Or Face Everything And Rise?
Aren’t they better, more appropriate stances to adopt when it comes to considering the possibilities and just going for it!?
Isn’t it all just a matter of perspective? Are we seeing the glass as being half full or half empty?
Remember the OPPORTUNITIESARENOWHERE story I wrote about in a recent article – did you read that as ‘OPPORTUNITES ARE NOW HERE’ or as ‘OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOWHERE’?
As we look back on the year we’ve all had (and jeez, what a year it’s been) and start to look forward to the year ahead – can we see a wealth of possibilities in front of us, or are we worrying about what might go wrong?
You may remember in a recent FIT Matters we looked at how we can cope with things that fall outside our control by focusing on the things we CAN control and not festering on those things we CAN’T!
Take another look at the article ‘Not Everything is Cancelled’ where Winnie the Pooh reminds us of the importance of ‘looking up’ and seeing all the positive possibilities that lie before us, to ensure we stay focused on our goals and dreams.
So, taking a leaf out of Gareth Southgate’s book this week – how can YOU thrive in the year ahead and achieve YOUR dreams in 2021?
Will you be brave?
Bravery is having the courage to step out of your comfort zone, move outside your hoola-hoop and take on new challenges.
Will you be kind?
It is a fact that kindness changes lives. By being kind to others it releases endorphins in the body that make US feel good too. So, it’s a real double-whammy, win-win and can open up all sorts of opportunities and prove to be our greatest strength.
Will you follow your dreams?
Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” is a very poignant one, because achieving anything in the future is all about setting goals – and a goal is simply a dream with a deadline.
And Walt Disney proved that “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” so, we all need to be far braver and courageous next year, just as high-school dropout Walt was when he pursued (and realised) his dream of becoming the world’s best loved animator of all time.
Southgate’s book has such a great title: “Anything Is Possible” because it’s telling us that nothing is IMPOSSIBLE – I mean, even the word itself says “I’M POSSIBLE”
So, as you begin to plan the year ahead and think about the life and business goals you want to achieve in 2021, remember this…
We can never be more than we believe is possible, so start believing in possibilities – make your dreams in a size too BIG and that way, you can GROW into them.
Southgate did – and so can YOU!
‘Anything Is Possible’ is definitely worth a read, so be sure to get it on your Christmas list, especially as all profits are going to the Princes Trust Charity too
You can click on the link here to order YOUR copy
Until next time – dream BIG and keep FIT!
Best regs
Marie
