Stop Respecting Your Limits

Most of your limits are self-imposed.

Sylvia Snowden Shell, Glimpses 104, 2003

Most of us are living smaller than we were meant to.

I'm starting to see a pattern in my work that breaks my heart: too many brilliant, capable people are living inside walls they built themselves.

I've written before about how we need to lower the bar on perfectionism, and what I'm starting to notice is that we lower the bar in the wrong places. We set impossibly high standards for how we show up, but painfully low ones for what we believe we're capable of achieving.

Let's rethink what's possible for your life.

The Geography of Your Dreams

Let's do an exercise. Sit down and map out the life you really want versus the life you're living now. I'd bet money there are territories marked as impossible that are really just uncomfortable.

That gap? That's where your real life is waiting.

I get it — fear is real. Bills are real. And some parts of life require us to confront reality with clear eyes. But somewhere between acknowledging constraints and accepting limitations, we've confused discomfort with impossibility.

That's why I've been challenging my clients this week to go after things they don't think they can get. Not because I'm reckless, but because I've seen what happens when you do.

The Handcuffs We Call Security

The tradeoff for "playing it safe" is staying stagnant. And safe isn't the safe you think it is.

I'll never forget being in my early thirties at a chic house party when someone asked what I did. I mentioned entrepreneurship, and they responded with a knowing smile: "Well, you know I'm getting that GOOD corporate check."

In my mind, all I saw was handcuffs.

I don't knock good checks, but I knew then, like I know now, what my heart desires and what my spirit is built for. That traditional path wouldn't be safe for me. It would be suffocating.

Safety can quietly rob you of growth, excitement, and fulfillment. And here's the thing: you're not avoiding risk. You're trading one risk (failure) for another (regret).

Which one can you live with?

Beyond the Walls of Experience

I've chased things that lived far outside my comfort zone. I've worked in coveted industries, taken five-star trips (for free), built thriving businesses, and cultivated a loving family. Each of these started as something I'd stare at from a distance, convinced it wasn't for someone like me.

But here's what I discovered: Self-belief isn't something you wait to feel. It's something you create by doing, even when EVERY instinct tells you to stay put.

When I was younger, I'd purposely sit in places where I didn't believe I fit in or belonged. Fancy restaurants. Industry events. Rooms where I was the youngest, the least connected, the most out of place.

I'd feel my discomfort thicken the air around me, like I couldn't breathe. But with every experience, I got braver. I started meeting people who showed me we weren't that different after all. I became friendly with the staff. I stopped pretending to belong and actually started belonging. The magic happened in that shift.

The Stunning Mathematics of Missing

Open the notes app because I want you to write this down: When you reach for something you don't think you can have, even if you miss, you land somewhere new. You're more courageous, bolder, and (major bonus!) you just built a new skill simply by trying. You strengthen your try-again muscle.

Every reach changes you. Every attempt expands your sense of what's possible. Even your "failures" become data points that inform your next move.

The mathematics are stunning: Reach + Miss = Growth. Reach + Hit = Transformation.

Both outcomes beat staying put.

Your Assignment (Should You Choose to Accept It)

So, I'm going to challenge you this week, just as I challenge my clients.

Now, I know some walls are real—built by systems, society, and yes, racism. I'm not asking you to ignore those realities. But I am asking you to examine which barriers are external and which ones you've internalized.

What's one thing you think is out of reach?

Write it down. Now write down the first, simplest step. It's usually something like: search, make an appointment, go see it, or apply.

That's it. That's your starting point.

Borrow my belief in you: I know you can do it. I know this is more uncomfortable for you than it is impossible. I don't care if you have no experience, money, or connections. Go for it.

Go after something so ridiculous you laugh over a meal with friends like, "Can you believe I did that?!"

Go after that one.

The Walls You Built

Because here's what I know for sure: some of those walls you're living inside of? You built them. Which means you have the blueprint, the tools, and the power to dismantle them one by one.

Your limits aren't carved in stone. They're drawn in sand, and the tide of your courage can wash them away anytime you choose.

The question isn't whether you're capable of more, it’s: When will you stop respecting the limits that were never real to begin with?

Now tell me, what wall are you going to start dismantling this week? Hit the comments. I read every single one, and I'm cheering you on.

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If this resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Sometimes we all need permission to dream bigger.

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About Me

I’m Myleik Teele, an entrepreneur, coach, and community builder. Over the past decade, I have built, scaled, and closed CURLBOX, creating a blueprint for modern brand-building and cultivating thriving communities both online and in real life. Now, my focus is on helping people—from high-level entrepreneurs and executives to those simply trying to create a life that feels good—play bigger while actually enjoying the journey.

If you're ready to start dismantling your walls and build the life you're meant for, [get on my coaching interest list] or [explore ways to work together], you can also find me on Instagram and my podcast, where I dive into life, business, and everything in between.