Re-Thinking How We Experience Limitations

Grab a cup of tea ☕ and explore re-thinking our limitations with me.

Nov 28, 2024

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This video of my brother and I was sent to me by my dad earlier this week. I watched it and thought to myself I look so free and, strangely, wondered: Do I still feel that free?

(let’s take a moment to enjoy how cute this is though ☺️)

Over the past year, I’ve experienced what I would previously have described as being ‘limited’ physically in almost every area of my life—where I live, the external resources I have access to, and so on.

This is completely the opposite of what I’ve experienced for most of my adult life.

Interestingly, despite these physical limitations, when I asked myself “Do I still feel that free?” The answer (energetically speaking at least) was yes. I’ve never felt quite so free in who I am—what I think of as the non-visible or non-physical aspects of my life. The things we cannot see. Oddly enough, when I didn’t feel physically limited, I also felt less at ease with myself, leading me to the question:

Does limitation actually create more opportunities and a sense of freedom?

With this post, I want to take a journey into these thoughts, (like I did in this article last week) so stay with me, and perhaps you’ll find a gem or two to apply to your own experience.

The Idea of Perception

Let’s begin with the concept of perception. Most of us, especially those who have explored spirituality, are familiar with the quote: “Your perception creates your reality.” I personally enjoy Oscar Wilde’s interpretation of perception:

“The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole.”

But how does our perception create our reality? Especially when reality often feels full of limitations and obstacles, lack of time or money 💸 being the most un-popular.

Here’s my train of thought: perception (how we see the world) shapes how we view limitations, while our experiences (what we do and what happens to us) inform our awareness (our knowledge or understanding of a situation), and vice versa. This cyclical relationship offers us new perceptions—different ways of thinking about or viewing our experiences—which in turn shapes our feelings and ideas about them.

Let’s explore this with an example: “I have no time to start my business.”

Imagine someone who has always experienced a lack of time as a constant limitation, one that has consistently held them back in all areas of life. They feel exhausted by this perception, having witnessed it in their parents and hearing it reinforced by those around them. This continually affirms the perception of “I have no time,” and they see this reality reflected everywhere.

Now flip to its opposite: “I have all the time in the world.”

Picture someone who is relaxed, present, and never feels rushed. They’ve rarely experienced time as a limitation. This perception is continually affirmed, and their reality reflects this perception of “I have all the time in the world.”

Yet, neither of these perceptions represents an absolute truth. It’s not factually true that the first person has no time (even if they have very little), nor is it true that the second person has all the time in the world (since life on Earth is finite).

Acknowledging Complexity

Where I’m headed might seem reductionist—simplifying complex ideas into something simpler. This doesn’t address inequalities that make some limitations far harder to overcome than a simple shift in perception—important work that many incredible individuals are tackling. But for the sake of this exploration, let’s focus on perception as a tool for re-defining limitations.

Let’s re-group

We’ve established that our experiences shape our perceptions, influencing how we view our lives and the feelings and thoughts we attach to them. In our earlier example, the perception of lack of time created “I have no time to start my business.” We’ve also recognised that perceptions are rarely absolute truths.

So, what is fact?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary:

And, what is something considered true? (also according to the Oxford Dictionary)

Now with these definitions in mind, let’s change our ‘limitation’ example from ‘time’, to something a little simpler:

When we pour water into a glass, there’s a finite amount the glass can hold. Based on our definitions, this is something that is both factual and true. However, our perception of the glass is what creates how we experience the reality of the water in the glass.

*Stay with me on this*

If the glass cannot hold the amount of water we need, we might find another, larger glass or use multiple glasses. We can also use our perception to see the glass as half empty or half full. This illustrates how perception can lead us to solutions for overcoming limitations that are both factual and true.

Returning to our earlier example: “I have no time to start my business,”, although this may create the reality of not starting, if the desire to start the business remains strong, a shift in perception could help, and, surely, a shift in perception is even easier if something is not entirely factual or true?

One potential approach would be to embrace the complete opposite perception of: “I have all the time in the world.” This might involve giving up other commitments to prioritise creating time—a ‘limitless’ mindset. I explored this in the second initiation of my podcast, “Limitless.” It reflected my mindset when I first started my entrepreneurial journey (although, five years on, I prefer the word ‘rollercoaster’ to ‘journey’ 😂)

Moving from a perception of total limitation to one of complete limitlessness has its advantages. It can spark big dreams, endless creativity, and open-mindedness. It allows us to see beyond our immediate constraints and imagine possibilities that once felt unattainable.

But, as I learned, this limitless approach can also become overwhelming. Like the scene in Fantasia where Mickey’s disregard of where he is, and obsession to be The Sorcerer leads to an army of uncontrollable broomsticks.

My limitless imagination eventually became unmanageable because I tried to turn every idea that I had, all into action all at once. Life reminded me (with a very loud wake up call) that limits do exist, and neglecting them often becomes unsustainable.

Perhaps the solution lies in acknowledging that perceptions of limitation and limitlessness can coexist?

Perception can open doors to new possibilities, but true progress might come from a more integrated awareness—a holistic view that incorporates our mind, body, heart, spirit, and intuition.

This brings us (almost full circle) back to the point of this article: “Re-Thinking How We Experience Limitations”

By recognising the interplay between perception and reality, we can work with how we view things, to initiate the openness to receive these new perceptions. We can begin to see limitations not as barriers but as opportunities for creativity, growth, and new solutions.

This is where a limitation can become an anchor ⚓ rather than a restriction. A limitation can allow us to work within the space and resources we currently have, with where we are right now, and, paradoxically, expand the resources available to us.

As Manjusvara shares in his book The Poet’s Way (p. 74), referring to writing Japanese haiku poems (which follow a restrictive syllable pattern of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third):

“trying to make your ideas fit the limitations, may take you to more interesting (because less familiar) places than you would have otherwise gone”

and how

“the struggle to make the syllables fit the pattern forces us to listen more carefully and dig more deeply into our vocab”

Returning to the example limitation of “I have no time to start my business,” let’s explore some ways we can use the doorway of perception and our limitations to meet our desire to begin. Bear in mind that these suggestions won’t address every scenario, nor can they be generalised to everyone’s experience. Instead, consider them as invitations to reflect on your own situation around wanting to re-define how your view ‘limitations’ (even if that’s not with starting a business):

Use more supportive language. What does this mean? It involves swapping out words that create tension in your body or reshaping your relationship with certain words by neutralising any strong positive or negative associations. How might you view your limitation as you would the water in a glass or the room you’re sitting in? Could you reframe the term limitation as structure or container?
Be more specific with what you say. For instance, instead of saying, “I have no time to start my business,” you could say, “I feel really overwhelmed with everything I have on right now, and it feels like I have little time to focus on my business.” This reframing helps you identify the core of the issue and can open up ideas and questions about how to support yourself within your limitations. What support could you ask for to reduce the overwhelm caused by other responsibilities? How could you carve out one hour to work on business ideas and view it as a form of self-care? Get creative.
See it as an experiment. Treat this as trial and error—exploring within the structures you have, using the resources available to you, and starting from where you are right now, rather than striving solely for the end goal. Can your goals instead guide you in exploring your edges? Can working with where you are, actually expand you into more resources in a sustainable way?
Take a gradual approach. In my own experience, safety was found in my choices when I took smaller steps and moved at my own pace, despite any outside noise to move faster. Then, when we feel ready to make bigger decisions and leaps, we do so either for deeper exploration or because we feel resourced to do so.

What about when limitations are unclear?

Sometimes, limitations aren’t immediately apparent but are instead found through our actions. This can be particularly challenging in the early stages of entrepreneurship, where conventional structures—such as set work hours or clear financial constraints—may not yet exist. You’re essentially discovering your limitations and boundaries.

In this process, we often experiment between two polarities or opposites to find our edges (like feeling safe and un-safe). It’s like being water that flows, gradually carving out its own river. In that carving, our experience almost informs our bodies of what these limitations are (they will be unique to you and vary in different situations, they’ll also change as you change). A great resource for illustrating this process is Ruth Allen’s book Weathering, which I highly recommend.

Now, I feel like we’re definitely coming full circle. 🥳

So, how can we re-think how we experience and view our limitations?

Well, I definitely don’t have the absolute answer, nor can we have a single answer for every situation that we’re likely to experience. What’s certain is that what a limitation is, changes based on our perception of it. They’re things that are sometimes chosen and often, totally out of our control.

By allowing ourselves to exist in a continual negotiation along the spectrum of 'limitation' and 'limitlessness', we can explore how it feels to inhabit one state over the other and let that experience teach and inform us. Through shifts in perception, we might discover opportunities within our limitations (like this amazing woman did).

Limitations might serve as opportunities for feedback and creativity, much like the structure of a Haiku poem. Similarly, limitlessness could be a time for dreaming and imagination. Perhaps understanding and incorporating a balance of both approaches throughout our lives allows us to both dream and create in an intentional and sustainable way.

Most importantly, maybe developing a more intimate connection with ourselves, allows us to listen more attentively to what our limitations are trying to teach us, rather than solely viewing them as restrictions. What do you think?

What’s happening in December?? 🎄

In my last post, I shared about my two events for December, my book club and our meditation group which you’re still welcome to join. I’ll be running these at a low cost every month
I’ll always share free, accessible content in the form of articles, podcasts and more, 1. because I love doing it and 2. because I’m aware, that’s all some of us need. But, for those of you who are looking to do more with me, I offer some amazing 1:1 and group services. This month, I’ll particularly be focusing on my Thought & Support Partnerships, starting with the first intake on the Winter Solstice (21st December). You can expect me to act essentially as your silent business or well-being partner, supporting you through reflection and connection, and helping you turn your ideas and visions into something tangible (take a look at this video to see this in action). I will support you through the challenges you’re currently experiencing or the transition you’re navigating. This is a portal where your ideas come to life. This is a space where you’ll leave feeling resourced and equipped.
Explore here 📖

with love,

Emma

If you found this post supportive or engaging, please let me know in the comments, share it with a friend 💖 or re-stack it with your thoughts. It’ll help other people connect with us.