With my last post I ended with the tip of the iceberg. I brought to light the fact that all of your "Reasons" for not having success, no matter what success means to you, are just excuses. Now lets take a quick look at what an excuse is defined as.
Excuse (noun): 1. an explanation offered for release from an obligation, promise, etc.
(Dictionary.com)
(verb) : 1. seek to remove the blame of
(Dictionary.com)
One of my readers responded to my last post in an email with their own definition of an excuse. This is what they said: "Another definition of an excuse is 'a skin of a lie wrapped with reason'." Interesting. I would have to say that is a great definition of an excuse. So, if we really look at the definition of an excuse it should be plain to see that it is something that is used to take the light off of our own faults or lack of responsibility so that we can mix in quietly with the crowd and point our fingers at something or someone else as to blame for our unsuccessful lives. This is a fundamentally wrong thought process that plagues our nation as a whole. It is no wonder that only 2% of the world is trully successful. It is so much easier to just blend in with the rest of the 98% and be mediocre.
Now let's break down your "reasons" with this new "enlightened" look at what your reasons really are. Let's just say hypothetically that one of your excuses, err, "reasons" is not enough time. I hear that one all of the time. Guess what. If you think you don't have enough time to improve your quality of life then you are prioritizing incorrectly or not prioritizing at all. Not setting priorities at all is just as harmful as having your priorities in the wrong place. Do you have to be in that bowling league? Is it more important than changing your quality of life for the better? Do you have to eat out for lunch everyday? NO! Most of the time you will not be able to reclaim huge blocks of your time by giving up one thing for awhile. It will come by sacrificing many small things at different times. UH OH! I said the "S" word. If you are not willing to sacrifice then I guess you should erase all the other excuses on your list and replace them with that.
"Reasons 1-10 why I do not have success:"
1. I am not willing to sacrifice
2. I am not willing to sacrifice
3. I am not willing to sacrifice
4. I am not willing to sacrifice
5. I am not willing to sacrifice
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
So now you can cross off "Not enough time" from your list. Remember, it is an excuse. You have 24 hours in your day just like every other living, breathing human being on this planet. Bottom line is, if you want it bad enough you will make time.
Maybe one of your excuses is "I don't know how". First of all, any excuse that starts with "I don't" is easily conquered with the changing of one word. Change DON'T for CAN. Now read it again. "I CAN know how". WOW! What a difference a word makes! Just because you don' know how to do something right now does not mean you CAN'T do it. Find someone who does know how and absorb every piece of knowledge they are willing to share with you. READ. READ. READ. Oh yeah you don't have the time. Wait a minute, you'll make time. Remember? "Successful people are made by the associations they have and the books they read."
Well, that is it for now. I will be posting again soon. Until next time, keep doing what you do "As the world sleeps".
The 2% Rule
What separates the 2% of the world that is or will be successful from the rest of the 98%? The fact that they are doing what they do long after the rest of the world has called it quits for the day. They are building success "As the world sleeps"! There is a great, short book called "The go-getter" by Peter B. Kyne. This book is an amazing illustration of what it takes to make something of one's self. Since this is not a book review I will not be getting into it here. Read it for yourself, while the rest of the world is sleeping! The point is, be a "go-getter".
What is it that you have always wanted to do? Be a millionaire? An author? A CEO of a major corporation? What matters is that it doesn't matter what it is that you want to do but what you are willing to do to get there. Do me a favor, if you would please. Grab a pencil and a piece of paper. Got it? Great! Now, write down your biggest dream of all time at the top of the page. One that you have had ever since you can remember. If you can't think of one, which I find very hard to believe, think of a recent "desire" you have had. I don't care if it is a bigger TV, a new car or house on the beaches of some exotic location. Write it down!
Ok, now draw a line down the center of the page. I know this sounds very elementary and completely pointless but please stick with me here. At the top of the left hand column write, "Reasons I want this". At the top of the right hand column write, "Reasons I don't have this". Simple enough so far right? Ok. Now on the right hand column right down every single reason you don't have this. It may be a long list it may be a short list. It doesn't really matter. Just do it. As you write these down you will start to recognize that with every word you write in this column you will get more and more irritated that this list even exists. Keep that in mind. Now on the left hand column simply write out all of the reasons you can possibly think of that would state why you want this "item" at the top of your page. I am guessing it is going to be a good sized list. As you are writing these down try to let the words you are writing really take your mind away to a place where you have already attained this "item" at the top of your page. Try to recognize the increased desire for this item as you write these reasons down. The more you write the more you can feel it, the more you can almost experience the absolute joy of finally having it.
Isn't it great? Life is good. You are sitting on the porch of that beach house after installing your new Big Screen TV that you drove home in your new car. And all of the sudden an infomercial interrupts your paradise. Whats worse is that this infomercial is announcing all of the "reasons" you wrote down on your right hand column why you "don't, can't or shouldn't" have these things. Are you going to listen to this garbage? Well, would you listen to this? Of course not. You would change the channel. Better yet you would turn off the TV. Guess what? It is that simple. You can have whatever it is that you wrote at the top of your page! You honestly can! You just need to sit back and really recognize that "Right hand Column" for what it truly is. A list of excuses! And an excuse is nothing more than a justification for a wrong action.
I will dig deeper into this with my next post. I look forward to continuing this with you. Please feel free to leave feedback. Until next time, keep doing what you do "As the world sleeps".
What is it that you have always wanted to do? Be a millionaire? An author? A CEO of a major corporation? What matters is that it doesn't matter what it is that you want to do but what you are willing to do to get there. Do me a favor, if you would please. Grab a pencil and a piece of paper. Got it? Great! Now, write down your biggest dream of all time at the top of the page. One that you have had ever since you can remember. If you can't think of one, which I find very hard to believe, think of a recent "desire" you have had. I don't care if it is a bigger TV, a new car or house on the beaches of some exotic location. Write it down!
Ok, now draw a line down the center of the page. I know this sounds very elementary and completely pointless but please stick with me here. At the top of the left hand column write, "Reasons I want this". At the top of the right hand column write, "Reasons I don't have this". Simple enough so far right? Ok. Now on the right hand column right down every single reason you don't have this. It may be a long list it may be a short list. It doesn't really matter. Just do it. As you write these down you will start to recognize that with every word you write in this column you will get more and more irritated that this list even exists. Keep that in mind. Now on the left hand column simply write out all of the reasons you can possibly think of that would state why you want this "item" at the top of your page. I am guessing it is going to be a good sized list. As you are writing these down try to let the words you are writing really take your mind away to a place where you have already attained this "item" at the top of your page. Try to recognize the increased desire for this item as you write these reasons down. The more you write the more you can feel it, the more you can almost experience the absolute joy of finally having it.
Isn't it great? Life is good. You are sitting on the porch of that beach house after installing your new Big Screen TV that you drove home in your new car. And all of the sudden an infomercial interrupts your paradise. Whats worse is that this infomercial is announcing all of the "reasons" you wrote down on your right hand column why you "don't, can't or shouldn't" have these things. Are you going to listen to this garbage? Well, would you listen to this? Of course not. You would change the channel. Better yet you would turn off the TV. Guess what? It is that simple. You can have whatever it is that you wrote at the top of your page! You honestly can! You just need to sit back and really recognize that "Right hand Column" for what it truly is. A list of excuses! And an excuse is nothing more than a justification for a wrong action.
I will dig deeper into this with my next post. I look forward to continuing this with you. Please feel free to leave feedback. Until next time, keep doing what you do "As the world sleeps".
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