Don’t be the victim of your own glass ceiling.

If you don’t strive to attain what might be unattainable,
you'll never know the limits of your potential.
I believe we all fall victim to our own limitations.
Wikipedia defines Glass Ceiling as:
Ceiling: “a limitation blocking upward advancement”
Glass:"transparent because the limitation is not immediately apparent”

Break the Ceiling

Shatter it, climb up and don’t look down.
Here are 5 steps to help you find that ceiling:
(after all, it’s invisible and you might not even know where you put it!)

1) Pick one aspect of your life that you want to progress or a new goal you feel is unattainable.
(for example: money, job, family, blog, writing, preaching, coaching)
Me: I want to be a published author.

2) Find an example of someone who has achieved your unattainable goal.
Me: There are so many, how can I choose? Ok.. here are two of my favorites. Both of these women are accomplished authors of memoirs.

	Sarah Saffian author of Ithaka: A Daughter’s Memoir of Being Found
	Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray, Love

3) Tell yourself why you CAN'T do what they did.
Me: I can’t be a published author because: I’m not famous. I don’t have a degree in English or writing. I don’t have an agent. I don’t have the financial means for editors or publicist. I’m just a jersey girl, ex computer geek, who knows nothing about publishing a book. Wow… I feel worse now than I did before this exercise.

4) Take off the blindfold, you’ve just found your ceiling.
Me: Ok… All of the reasons stated in #3 are true. I can’t change them. BUT… my ceiling is that I ASSUME these are reasons I won’t get published. If I let these doubts rule me, then I won’t even try, hence the ceiling. If I let my own limitations prevent me from climbing, then one thing is certain, I will never get there.

5) What next?
Seeing clearly is the first step to success. Tune in next week for: How to keep yourself from keeping you back

Now go. Find your ceiling and let us all know about it.

Thanks for stopping by.
Please support me with your honesty.

Take a moment to checkout My Wonderfully Dysfunctional Blog.

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Comment by Amy Hartl Sherman on July 6, 2010 at 7:38am: Well-meaning sisters can be part of the "ceiling." Follow your passion, it's a great leader. (Okay, maybe that's getting a little too preachy.)

Comment by Buffi Neal on July 6, 2010 at 7:33am: Lynne> Thanks for bringing up the topic – I did wonder how those who knew the term would take the post, but you’re the first to ask.
Amy> Thank you for the compliment. My sister told me this post was too "preachy", but I posted it anyway because this is what I’m passionate about. You inspire me and I hope to inspire you!
Thanks for reading.
-Buffi

Comment by Amy Hartl Sherman on July 6, 2010 at 6:47am: For what it's worth Buffi, I understood that you understood the original meaning and simply added a new angle for people to use personally for self-motivation. I believe it's brill.

Comment by Lynne Morgan Spreen on July 6, 2010 at 6:45am: Cool. Thanks for clarifying.

Comment by Buffi Neal on July 6, 2010 at 3:25am: Lynne > Yes, I know the different meaning well. I worked for 20+ years in a male-dominated field. I was fortunate because I did not experience a "glass ceiling" in my career, but I knew some women that felt it. I started telling myself "Don't be the victim of your own glass ceiling" almost 15 years ago.

I didn't intend to make light of people who suffer from discrimination. I just feel that the world puts up enough obstacles; I don't need to add some of my own.

Thanks so much for reading.

-Buffi

Comment by Lynne Morgan Spreen on July 5, 2010 at 6:46pm: Um, I don't want to be unsisterly or anything, Buffi, but the term "glass ceiling" has a different meaning for us older broads. You know that, right?

Comment by Amy Hartl Sherman on July 5, 2010 at 6:17pm: Nicely put. I hope my glass ceiling is ultra thin and will shatter with the slightest provocation. Waiting for the next posting!

Comment by Lynne Morgan Spreen on July 3, 2010 at 5:18am: Very motivational! Thanks.

Comment by Neasha Clarke on June 26, 2010 at 8:57pm: I loved your blog, it was very inspiring and encouraging to me. Can't wait to check out some of your work.

Comment by Nicole Alicia on June 23, 2010 at 7:47pm: Excellent post! Just what I needed to hear...I feel the exact same way. WOW! Time to stop preventing myself from actually climbing further.

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