Let's face it... If we didn't get in our own way, who knows what we'd be capable of? Each of us holds some idea of a limit. Those barriers we place on ourselves do nothing but hold us back. If we weren't so sure of what we could do, we'd probably find we could do a lot more. It's hard work shaking off the constraints, especially when they're self-prescribed. But breaking through to the other side might free us up to accomplish things we never dreamt were possible.

For a great example of how these worries and inner ceilings can keep us from our destiny, we can turn to Bea Arthur, one of TV's most iconic performers. She was a success in the '70s, first as a brassy contrast and cousin to Archie Bunker, and then in her own right on the memorable Maude. Anybody with eyes knew that the actress made the character, not the other way around. Still, Arthur was scared that she might have a rough go if she started over after Maude.

In 1983, two years before The Golden Girls hit the air, Arthur spoke with the Mattoon, Illinois Journal Gazette/Times-Courier about her then-upcoming show, Amanda. While it wouldn't prove quite as successful as Golden Girls, this show nonetheless proved a pivotal stepping stone on Arthur's road back to the top. Without it, she may not have returned to TV.

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"I purposely stayed away from a new show from a basic human failing— fear! I felt, rightfully, that when you've been in as big a success as Maude for six years, how can you equal or top it?"

She was right to recognize how big a deal Maude was. And yet, had Arthur not overcome these notions of living in Maude's shadow, we might not have ever thanked her for being a friend.

"During the past four years I read scripts and treatments," she said, "hoping all of them would be terrible so I wouldn't have to commit myself to anything."

While your memory of Amanda's quality might vary, we can all agree that it was a good thing Bea Arthur came back to the small screen, if only because she stuck around for The Golden Girls.