“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
– T.S Elliot
Today I’m looking at how the principle of Personal Vision lies at the heart of facing our fears and challenges from one of the world’s leading snowboarders who you may have never heard of…Terje Haakonsen!
Terje Haakonsen is hailed by many for being one of the most influential snowboarders of all time, topping Snowboarder Magazine’s Top 20 in the world in 2007. What can we learn from people like Terje who are pushing the boundaries of human endeavour, daring and achievement in order to help us in our own lives?
In today’s video, you will see how Terje separates himself from his fellow boarders because of his attitude and approach to a very daunting challenge that would test anyone. However, because of the self-belief and willingness to push his limits, he decides to take on something that most wouldn’t even dream of. Why, you might ask? Well, because of the way he feels about his sport, the standards he holds for himself and his approach to fear and challenges, i.e. how he applies the principle of Personal Vision.
It’s Personal Vision that dictates who we are in relation to our challenges; e.g. how we feel and think about our challenges and ourselves. After you’ve watched today’s amazing video of Terje, the question I would ask is; how do you feel when you come across your own mountains in life? Are you someone who backs away from them, or are you someone who faces them head on? If you find you tend to back away, remember, it’s in your power to change that!!
How Do We Conquer Our Own Personal Mountains?
Personal Vision Separates the Good from the Greats…
It needs to be said that someone like Terje didn’t get to this point overnight. His Personal Vision as a snowboarder and someone who is able to overcome his greatest doubts and fears is something that has been built up over a lifetime, with constant dedication to himself and his sport, continually reinforcing the way he wants to see himself. It’s his Personal Vision that sets him apart from his fellow boarders who may be technically just as good – the difference is in his whole mindset, his ability to control his emotions and his approach to life.
We never know when we will have to face our own mountains in life. The more we work every day on imagining and shaping our attitudes and beliefs in line with what we want, the better we will be when we do find ourselves stood in front of a mountain, real or metaphorical.
How do we do this? Well here are a few things to get you going…
- Write down some of the things you fear most or would like to be greater at dealing with and overcoming…Maybe it’s speaking in public, asking for a promotion or asking someone out for a date!
- What would it mean to you if you changed these limiting elements of your Personal Vision?
- What do you feel you can do to start changing that in yourself?
If you need any help with this or want a bit of advice, just get in touch below
