Monday Motivation: Don't Be Letting These Koi Fish Outdo You…

So a couple years ago I got to do a video shoot at Tao in Las Vegas.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Tao, it is a very popular restaurant and Nightclub that the Kardashians often frequent. We were filming a video about their famous giant stuffed fortune cookie that was literally the size of my head.

It was our last shoot of the day after having done two other shoots, and I could feel the day’s exhaustion weighing down on my back figuratively and literally as I was also carrying a giant camera bag.

While my other two co-producers we're looking for people to eat the fortune cookie on camera, I decided to give myself a small mental break, and as I was zoning out, I couldn't help but be entranced by the koi fish pond right next to us.

I was so fascinated by their ability to swim around, and take up space so freely without worry or fear (or at least from what I could tell). But then I noticed one particular fish gunning towards the direction of the rock wall that enclosed them. I was so curious about whether or not she would be able to pivot her direction in time to avoid hitting the wall. But based on how she was swimming, I feel like that was the least of her concerns.

Then it happened. She hit the wall, backed up, and went off swimming in a new direction.

Suddenly, this epiphany started to flood through my mind; why are we so afraid to hit our limits?

Why do we choose to freak out, or panic, or be upset when we hit a wall? There are walls all around us all the time. The probability of us hitting one of them is pretty big, and yet still, when we come up against a frustration, or a proverbial wall (or maybe even a literal wall), so many of us like to act brand-new as if we didn't already know that hardship is a part of life.

So as we go forth to reimagine our Monday this week, I hope that should you come up against a personal hardship or a “wall”, that you think about the koi fish that had the courage to swim openly and freely, who dared to hit her limits, but kept it together, backed up, and picked a new direction. I want you to choose a new way to respond to your hardships. You don't always have to choose the emotion that is commonly expressed. But most importantly, always choose what is going to allow you to keep it swimming at the end of the day.

Don't let the idea of hitting a limit stop you from exploring, and trying the vast opportunities in front of you. Because unlike the koi fish, we can move past our limits, and still survive.

Don’t be letting these koi fish out do you.