Pushing Boundaries to See What’s Possible

How many of us simply accept what is? We reach a certain point in life, in our education or our career, and settle right there. Comfortable. Safe. Familiar. And for a while, that feels perfectly fine.

But what if we nudged those boundaries a little? What if we stepped out of that comfort zone and stretched just far enough to see what might be waiting on the other side? Complacency creeps in quietly, and before we know it, we’re no longer asking ourselves what could be possible — we’re just accepting what already is.

To push past those limits, we first need to get honest about what’s holding us back. Is it fear of failing? Fear of looking foolish? Fear of the unknown? Those fears are loud, but imagine what life could look like if you moved through them anyway.

I still remember being told I should race at the Australian Para Cycling Road Championships. I actually laughed. I was only riding my trike to rowing training and back — what did I know about racing? I had a long list of reasons not to go: I didn’t understand racing, I didn’t know how to get my trike to Queensland, and I could’ve invented a dozen more excuses without even trying. But something in me said “go,” so I did. And from that very first time trial, everything shifted. My entire life opened up because I took that one step. If I hadn’t gone, the last fourteen years never would have happened.

These would have never happened if I didn’t push my boundaries

Setting bold goals — the kind that feel a little outrageous — can pull you past the boundaries you think you have. Picture what life might look like if you reached them. That vision alone can be enough to spark action.

We often assume that if we try, push ourselves, and fail, we lose everything. But I see it differently. When you stretch beyond what feels safe, you don’t lose — you grow. Mistakes aren’t proof you shouldn’t have tried; they’re proof you’re human and in motion.

Life’s too short for complacency. Take the chance. Try the thing. Stretch the boundary. You never know what extraordinary path it might lead you down.