EPISODE 567 - You Owe It to Yourself to See What is Possible

Speaker A: The person who gets the most done has the least excuses.

Speaker B: Welcome to the Millionaire Woman show, where we'll be discussing leadership, business, human potential inspiring you to live rich from the inside out, unlock your creativity, stretch out of your comfort zone, break through your barriers, take inspired action and achieve epic results. Now, here's your host, three time best selling author, speaker and certified executive coach, Deborah Kozowski.

Speaker C: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Millionaire Woman Show. I'm your host, Deborah Kozowski, and today I want to share something that was inspired by one of my intentional walks on peloton. You know those moments when you're moving your body and suddenly one sentence just lands differently? It stops you in your tracks even while you're walking. The phrase that caught my attention was,

Speaker A: you owe it to yourself to see what's possible.

Speaker C: I've been sitting with those words ever since. And because how often do we stop ourselves before life ever has a chance to. How often do we let someone else's opinion become our limitation? How often do we quietly decide that maybe we're asking for too much dreaming

Speaker A: too big, or simply not enough?

Speaker C: Today, I want to challenge that, um, thinking. Because I truly believe you owe it to yourself to discover what's possible. Not for anyone else, but for you. The stories we begin to believe.

Speaker A: Somewhere along the way, we begin collecting stories.

Speaker C: Maybe a teacher questioned your abilities, A boss overlooked your potential, A family member told you to play it safe, or someone criticized your dream. Or perhaps no one ever said the words out loud, but their actions, you know, they communicated them very clearly. You're not leadership material. You're too much. You're too quiet. You're too old, you're too young, you're too ambitious. You're. You're not experienced enough. You're not ready. And what's fascinating is that these comments often say far more than an other person's perspective than they really say about your potential. Yet, if we're not careful, we begin rehearsing these statements in our own minds. Eventually, it sounds like our own voice. And that's where the danger is. We stop questioning whether it's true, and we start living as if it is. So, my friends, we really need to focus on the difference between opinion and truth. And not every opinion deserves a permanent residence in your mind.

Speaker A: And let me say that again, not

Speaker C: every opinion deserves a permanent residence in your mind. People make judgments through the lens of, uh, their own experiences, fears, beliefs and limitations. Someone may underestimate you because you've never done what you're trying to accomplish. Someone may Discourage you because they didn't. Couldn't imagine it for themselves. And someone may criticize you because your growth challenges their comfort. And none of those things define you. The truth is different. The truth isn't determined by someone's approval. The truth is who you are to your core. Your essence, your values, your gifts, your strengths, your resilience, your capacity to grow. Those things remain true even when someone

Speaker A: fails to see them.

Speaker C: If we start believing those stories too much, we start living someone else's version of our life.

Speaker A: And I know this because I've lived it.

Speaker C: There were seasons when I listened to other people's opinions more than I listened to my own intuition. I, uh, trusted external voices over that quiet inner knowing that kept whispering, deb, there's more for you. Have you ever done that? Have you ever second guessed yourself? Have you ever over analyzed every decision? You asked everyone else what they thought. You sought permission. And instead of seeking your own wisdom. And little by little, something happens. You begin living someone else's expectations instead of your own purpose. And it's subtle.

Speaker A: It doesn't even happen overnight.

Speaker C: It's because eventually you wake up and you realize that you've drifted. Drifted not because you weren't capable, but because you slowly surrendered your confidence. One opinion at a time. And then we get caught into comparison traps that only make it worse. Social media doesn't help. We see the highlight reels, the achievements, the perfectly curated success. Announcing promotions, book deals, vacations, business milestones. And without realizing it, we begin measuring our own behind the scenes against someone's highlight reel

Speaker A: comparison whispers.

Speaker C: They're farther, farther ahead. They're smarter, more talented. They started younger. They have more connections.

Speaker A: And here's what comparison does not tell you.

Speaker C: You don't know what they've sacrificed. You don't know what they've overcome. And you don't know what.

Speaker A: How many failures happened before that success came. And more importantly, you were never meant to become them.

Speaker C: You were never meant to become them.

Speaker A: You were created to become the fullest expression of yourself. Because here's the thing. Identity isn't fixed. One of your greatest gifts that we have is the power of choice. And identity isn't something that you inherit

Speaker C: once and you keep forever. It's something that you continually shape. Every day, every decision, every habit, every conversation, every boundary, every courageous action, you're becoming someone. And the question is, are you becoming that person? Intentionally or accidentally? There's a quote that says every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. M I love that. Because it reminds us that transformation isn't one giant leap. It's thousands of tiny actions. So it's time to reclaim your identity. There's a moment that comes when you have to decide whose voice gets the microphone.

Speaker A: Fear, criticism, comparison.

Speaker C: Past mistakes. Your values, your purpose, your vision. You're reclaiming your identity isn't pretending that you've never been hurt. It's deciding that your future won't be

Speaker A: written by your past. And it means saying, I appreciate your opinion, but it does not define my life.

Speaker C: And that's powerful, because once you stop

Speaker A: seeking validation, you become available for transformation. And I have to tell you, when I learned this lesson and I was sitting in the backseat of a car one day and a person looked over at me and offered their opinion, And I just looked at them and smiled. And she said, what? I'm just offering my opinion. And all I could do was nod my head and say, and that you are. I did not allow that opinion to get internalized.

Speaker C: And the same goes for feedback. When you get it in the workplace or from others, you get to decide

Speaker A: if you're going to accept it. You owe it to yourself.

Speaker C: And, um, let's come back to where we started.

Speaker A: You owe it to yourself to see what's possible.

Speaker C: That doesn't mean you're never going to fail. It doesn't mean everything's going to work out exactly as planned.

Speaker A: And it doesn't mean every opportunity will become a success. But you never know what's possible until you give yourself permission to try. Imagine looking back 20 years from now. What would you regret more? Not making the attempt and learning, or never trying because someone else doubted you? I think we know the answer. What's possible if you trusted yourself a little bit more?

Speaker C: What's possible if you stopped asking for permission? What's possible if you believed your experience

Speaker A: had prepared you instead of disqualified you? What's possible if you viewed setback as feedback instead of failure? What's possible if you became more committed to your purpose than other people's opinions? And those are powerful questions, because possibility begins with permission and the permission you give yourself.

Speaker C: So I want to leave you with

Speaker A: three questions that I want you to

Speaker C: reflect on when you have the opportunity

Speaker A: as you finish listening today, here we are. First, whose voice have I been believing that no longer serves me? Second, who am I choosing to become? And third, what is one courageous step I can take today that aligns with that identity? I said today. Not next month, not next year, but today. Life is far too precious to spend becoming a smaller version of yourself. You were given unique gifts, unique experience, unique voice, and a unique purpose. Someone else's opinion can inform you, it can challenge you, it can even help you grow. But it should never define who you are. You have the opportunity every single day to reclaim your identity, to remember who you are, to choose who you are

Speaker C: becoming,

Speaker A: to keep moving forward to the life that's calling you. Because you truly owe it to yourself to discover what's possible.

Speaker C: Thank you so much for joining me on another Millionaire Woman show as we

Speaker A: move into the next decade together. If today's conversation resonated with you, I would love for you to share this episode with someone who may need a reminder that they are capable of more than they've been believing. And if you haven't already, ensure that you subscribe so you never miss an episode. And until next time, we remember your greatest limitations are often the stories you've accepted as truth. Choose a story that empowers you to take one courageous step today and keep discovering what's possible. Have an incredible week. I would love for you to go over to my website, www.deborah kasowski.com to learn more and message me if you're interested in coaching so that I can help you move into the next level of who you are becoming.

Speaker C: As Muhammad Gandhi said, be the change

Speaker A: you wish to see in the world. And as always, go out and make today great.