This past Thursday I had a great experience in meeting a wonderful group of students at The English Center in Oakland. The center’s mission is to help immigrants learn English and get good jobs. It is exciting to see committed people with different backgrounds and ages believing in opportunities,

I’ve learned that there are different barriers that people put in front of themselves that stop them to achieve their dreams and reach their potential.  Fear is the most common one. We have to get rid of the fear –the best way to do that is to face our fears, to get out of our comfort zone. I remember when I learned to swim not many years ago, I was so afraid to even get into the pool. As soon as I was in the water I automatically thought, “I am going to die” and I could not move. I felt I could die –even though the water was only as high as my knees - I was too afraid to even to try to swim.

It took courage to get out of my comfort zone and think beyond the fear, which in any situation can stop us from finding ourselves, learning new things, meeting new people, finding our potential, and ultimately living the life that we really want.

Another internal barrier is the lack of belief that things are possible –our thoughts are our reality. If you believe that you can’t do something that will be your reality. The truth is that you can achieve and make anything happen if you are willing to work hard and you are committed with your goals. You will see the results of your work and perseverance. Lack of belief again stops us to reach our potential.

Another thing that often prevents our success is not taking responsibility for our situation and the decisions that we make. No body else can make things better or happen for us. We have to take action and take control of our lives. It is in our hands to live the life that we really want.

Don’t get me wrong – I know there are events in life that are out of our control and bad things happen to people. But we have to recognize that bad thing happen to every body not just “me”. Everybody has challenges in their life, which I believe are really opportunities to grow and learn.

What I admire about people like the students at The English Center is their courage and commitment to be open to learn and get out of their comfort zone. Many times we won’t see the results very soon but eventually we will feel better and more positive about ourselves and our community.

The uncomfortable truth about success is that it’s much more difficult to find success and happiness when you stay in your comfort zone.