You Are Your Biggest Limit

This blog was written by a good friend of mine, Christel Gustafson.

I have always dreamed of getting into real estate but growing up, I was told that real estate investing was too dangerous and risky. My dad, who had sat on the Board of our local bank, witnessed so many of his friends and colleagues “lose it all” in real estate. The lesson was that any venture into real estate is inherently a poor choice (save your personal residence, of course). My grandmother, on the other hand (and on the other side of the family as well), loved dealing in real estate. She was an active Realtor and Property Manager for most of her life. She repeatedly begged my dad to invest with her, but to no avail.

Even though my father’s beliefs were not my own, they still controlled my life. I never thought to pursue my passion of real estate because it was not an acceptable form of business in my family. I just followed the path that was expected of me - I went to college, got a degree in accounting, married, worked a 9-to-5 job, and had two kids. Like winning the lottery, my dreams always seemed so out-of-reach, as if they were reserved for someone just a little more fortunate than myself.

That all changed about 2 years ago. My daughter, who was struggling with an autoimmune disease, requires an enormous amount of supervision. I found myself not leaving the house for weeks at a time. I finally became so restless that I had to get out and take some me-time. I ended-up at one of those “free real estate seminars” simply to get some form of entertainment outside the house. Many of you know the type of seminar I’m talking about. Even though I am not a big fan of these aggressive tactics, the seminar did change my mindset. In many ways, it changed my life. It was like being struck by lightning. I knew that, deep down, I could achieve my dream. I don’t know why, but all of a sudden, everything shifted and I was ALL in.

Or was I? It was not that simple. I had all the motivation in the world, but day-after-day and month-after-month, it felt like I was like treading through quicksand. After the high from the seminar wore off, I was left alone in this new journey and afraid to take the next step. I was shocked just how much my father’s limiting beliefs affected me. Even after my mindset shift, I still felt held back.

Is it easy? NO. But is it possible? Yes. I might be slow, but I am persistent, and I refuse to go back to my old ways of thinking. I continue to work through my beliefs and fears and I am finally taking the actions needed to achieve my dreams. One step at a time.

If you find yourself struggling to reach your goals or dreams, then I suggest you reflect back to find what limiting beliefs or fears are holding you back.

“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” ―Les Brown