Yesterday in Nashville, I conducted a special leadership seminar.  We ended with my favorite exercise, Board Breaking.  The exercise is designed to help people push past fears, to release self limiting beliefs and focus on the life they love.  

People walk away from this exercise with a variety of lessons and the lessons are different each time they break through.  I broke my first board at a workshop 10 years a go with an incredible speaker named Brian Biro and I remember my lessons from the board to this day.  I wanted to share them with you today.

Leaders Lead Everywhere They Go
I went first in my group.  I looked around the group and saw my team and other women who respected me.  I knew we were all scared.  I also knew that is was my JOB to go first.  It would help them be less fearful.

I Do Not Have to Know Everything to Take Action
I knew I had to go first and I also knew that I wasn’t sure how to break a board.  I calmly told myself  that all I could  was follow the instructions I had been given.  

Success Come From Acting, Evaluating and Acting Again
I prepared myself to fail the first time.  I told myself that I would do as instructed and then my holder could tell me what I did wrong… I would correct it and try again.

Give It All You’ve Got
Even though I was prepared to fail, I was going to give my first attempt a 100% effort.  I locked eyes with my holder,  did the pivot/punch move and felt nothing.  Never breaking eye contact, I said “What do I need to do differently”?  He held up my shattered board and said “Nothing, that was perfect”.

Things Are Only as Hard as We Believe Them to Be
If you think its going to hurt, it does.   If you are fearful or tentative, it feels a lot like slamming your hand into a board.  If you are fierce, you never feel a  thing.  The board yields to your will.

When We Focus on the Obstacle, We Fail.
When we take our eyes off of the goal and focus on the obstacle, we stumble…PERIOD!


Disclaimer
This exercise requires a specific technique, seasoned board holders and a support team that believes that everyone can breakthrough.  Be VERY careful in attempting to duplicate it.