Don't let your brain become your biggest barrier!

Grab a coffee and let's catch up ☕️ Aimée Rebecca | 4th Mark ​​​​

I had a real wake-up call this morning and realised just how much my brain has been holding me back. Grab a coffee and let me tell you all about it.

Oh, and heads up, this email contains affiliate links.

Hi Reader,

It's me - Aimée Rebecca - your internet bestie who hadn't done the best job of showing up in your inbox recently. Sorry! I'm juggling a lot right now and struggling to find enough hours in the day to get around to everything.

We've all been there. Sometimes life gets hectic. All you can during those periods is hunker down, do your best, and try to cling to your sanity.

Anyway, this morning I had a real lightbulb moment at the gym and I wanted to share this revelation with you....

Your brain is your biggest barrier.

I talk a lot about the obstacles that hold us back in This Time Next Year Success Blueprint — things like fear, excuses, low self-confidence, procrastination, and lack of consistency. These roadblocks might seem different on the surface, but at the core, they all stem from the same place: our own brains getting in the way.

But this morning I had an experience that really hit home quite how much my brain is my biggest barrier.

I've been going to the gym consistently since I joined in November 2023. At this point, I feel like I should resemble The Hulk but the reality is, I still have noodle arms. True, I used to lift 8kg dumbells and now I lift 10kgs but I'd hardly consider that a shocking transformation over the course of more than a year!

And then there's the medicine ball. I hate that thing! Heavy on the way up. Heavy on the way down.

In my Tuesday morning strength class, there are usually two 6kg balls and a 10kg ball. The 10kg one? Nope. I treat it like a bomb. I have no desire to try to lift it. I don't touch it. I avoid even looking at it!

It's hard enough to lift the 6kg ball and it's just as hard now as it was a year ago! I'll never progress to 10kg. I'll be lifting 6kg for the rest of my life because I'm not strong enough and my noodle arms can't do it...(insert spiralling thoughts of self-doubt here!).

But this morning, I lifted the 6kg medicine ball and it almost flew out of my hands it was so light. I stopped. I double-checked the weight. I considered calling the trainer over and telling him the medicine ball was defective.

"Umm...someone's stolen some sand out of this." 💁‍♀️

Then, when I got back to the medicine balls for my next round, I grabbed another 6kg one…except this time, it felt appropriately heavy. Suspicious. So I actually looked at the number properly.

It wasn’t 6kg. It was 9kg! 😲

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I’d been lifting a 9kg ball for who knows how long—thinking it was 6kg.

And suddenly, it hit me. If I’ve been lifting 9kg all this time... I can definitely lift 10kg. The only thing stopping me? My own belief that I wasn’t strong enough.

And that got me thinking—how often do we do this in life?

How often do we assume something is too hard for us before we even try? How often do we convince ourselves we can’t—when in reality, we already are?

🚫 “I’m not good at this.”

🚫 “I’ll never be able to do that.”

🚫 “That’s just not for me.”

But what if we’re already so much closer than we think?

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So, let me ask you this:

👉 What’s your ‘medicine ball’?

👉 Where in your life are you holding yourself back just because you believe you can’t?

👉 What would happen if you pushed yourself just a little further today?

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Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Your brain is your biggest barrier. But once you realise that? Game over.

You are capable. You are stronger than you think. And the only way to prove it… is to try.

📰In Other News...

The National Finals of the Ms. Galaxy Pageant are THIS MONTH! 😱

Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out.

...Okay, I’m freaking out a little bit.

After experiencing the most stressful and exhilarating weekend of my adult life at the pageant last year, I knew I had to do it all over again. I’ve spent the past year preparing, and now the countdown is on!

Here’s what I’ve been up to as part of my Galaxy journey:

✨ Unbreakable Shine – I created a foundation to spread awareness about emotional abuse and coercive control.

💛 Bags of Joy – I've been putting together small gifts and hygiene products to donate to survivors of domestic abuse.

🎤 Sharing Stories – I've been collecting and delivering stories of survivors' experiences as a way for them to take back a sense of control while educating others about the warning signs of emotional abuse.

If you want to keep up with my pageant journey (and cheer me on!), you can follow my pageant Instagram.

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Oh, and don't miss my latest YouTube video:

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✨No Gate-Keeping Here!

Here are a few things I’ve been loving lately and think you will too:

📖 The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher – A heartwarming, unexpected gem! This novel follows Penelope Keeling, an artist’s daughter, as she reflects on her life during WWII while her adult children plot to get their hands on her father’s paintings. It’s a cozy, feel-good read with a storyline that surprised me.

📺 Getting Filthy Rich with Olivia Attwood – Sorry, not sorry. I finally caved after my dance class friends raved about it, and...wow. Olivia dives into the world of OnlyFans, including its more niche content creators. Be warned—this is NOT one to watch with your grandma.

🧵 My Cross-Stitch Kit from Innocent Bones – If you’ve ever wanted to try cross-stitch, I highly recommend one of these kits. This is my first go at it, and the instructions are so beginner-friendly. Perfect for a slow Sunday afternoon.

Hope you're having a great week so far, Reader! Sending all the positive vibes your way.

Aimee 💕