Have you ever “hit the wall” and felt totally unable to move forward? It’s inevitable that at some point in life you will face a seemingly insurmountable barrier. It might be living in an unhappy relationship or a dead-end job. It could be rebuilding after bankruptcy or living with a health challenge. How do you breakthrough your barriers?

I recently had some great teachers in creating breakthroughs when I attended a Black Belt Show. My daughter’s boyfriend, Jeremy, recently tested for his 3rd degree black belt in Taekwando. Now, we’ve all heard the expression “Mind over Matter” but I just witnessed a physical demonstration of that principle which truly astonished me.

Testing in martial arts typically includes breaking through some object, like a board. For Jeremy to advance to his next level of black belt, he had to break through 3-1.5 inch slabs of concrete stacked on top of each other! Just hearing about it put my stomach into knots! (You can watch Jeremy perform his amazing feat at http://tinyurl.com/rygmf7)

Watching Jeremy break solid concrete with his bare hand, I observed some of the strategies he used to create a very powerful and definitive breakthrough. Here are 4 tips for success you can use to break through your own barriers…

1. Align Your Body, Mind and Soul

To prepare, Jeremy brought himself to a place of total alignment between his body, mind and soul. All elements were harnessed and focused towards one single goal. His years of drills, exercises and exhibitions helped him develop the physical skills, the mental discipline and the internal belief that he could do what seemed to be a physical impossibility.

Action: Are there relationships, to do lists, or limiting beliefs that are scattering your energy or focus? What can you let go of so you can harness your full attention to your task at hand?

2. Your Entire Experience Serves You

So often my clients are tempted to cherry-pick their life’s experiences, deeming some as good and helpful, and others as “bad” or a waste of time. My belief is every life experience you have – the good, bad and the ugly – is an absolute necessary stepping stone to bringing you into the present moment. Jeremy spent years training in all kinds of drills, many of which may not have seemed directly relevant to breaking through a slab of concrete. But the cumulative impact of all of his experience was harnessed and exploded to serve him in achieving his goal. All life experience contributes to your ability to build the awareness and inner resilience that will help you overcome any challenge.

Action: Identify at least 2 or 3 life lessons you have learned from some of the most challenging circumstances you’ve faced. How have those lessons helped you now?

3. Commit to Going THROUGH, Not Going TO

The key to breaking a board (or a few slabs of concrete!) is to bring your strike not simply to the surface of the wood, but to a point somewhere below the level of the board. If you bring your hand only to the surface of the board, you end up with a sore wrist. Your energy must be delivered to go THROUGH the object, not simply TO it. The key to winning any race is committing to going through the finish line, and not allowing yourself to pull up short before you even get there.

Action: Where are you holding back or hiding out on fully committing to your goals? What is one small step you could take today to let go of your resistance and take positive action towards what you want?

4. Focus on Yourself

Jeremy was one of the last of almost 2 dozen students to complete their breakthrough feat. Particularly when it got to concrete breaking, there were many who struggled and required numerous attempts to achieve success. For the audience, it was gut-wrenching to witness.

Yet Jeremy sat for most of his waiting time in silent contemplation, eyes closed and focused inward. He didn’t compare himself to others. He didn’t get distracted by the crowd noise or the helpers sweeping dust and broken boards off the stage. He kept a quiet, powerful focus on himself and what he wanted to accomplish.

Action: Do you tend to compare yourself to others or get distracted looking for the latest bells and whistles to help you achieve a breakthrough? Start a practice of spending at least 5 minutes each day in quiet meditation with yourself and allow yourself to connect with your own inner wisdom and truth.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: “Success Strategist, coach and best-selling author, Carolyn B. Ellis, is the founder of ThriveAfterDivorce.com and ThrivePrinciples.com. Her mission is to empower you to thrive no matter what your outside circumstances are. To get free tips on turning adversity into opportunity in order to improve your relationships, increase your self-confidence and reach your highest potential, visit www.thriveprinciples.com.”