Ever wonder if you’re holding yourself back from something that you could actually do (if you just got out of your own head?)
Here’s a simple trick:
Say your excuses out loud.
Make a list of all the reasons why you’re NOT doing something and then say them outloud – with your mouth.
Unless the reason why you can’t do something is “a cheetah is closing in on me at 70mph for a late brunch”, then most likely your excuses start to sound pretty stupid pretty quick when they’re verbalized.
- “I don’t know if it will work” So try and find out.
- “I don’t want to look stupid.” Who really cares?
- “I’m behind on stuff” So catch up.
When you say your excuses out loud, you put your excuses in perspective.
You have food & water, a basic education, access to the internet, and live in one of the developed parts of the world (and you’re not one of the 2 billion people a year living on less than $2/day). You can travel anywhere in the world with $2,000 and 24 hours.
Your life is pretty good. Start acting like it. Stop letting excuses steal away your life and go do something impossible.
h/t to NevMed for this illustration that prompted this post
“Ever wonder if you’re holding yourself back from something that you could actually do (if you just got out of your own head?)”
Only about every day.
Badass quote: Your life is pretty good. Start acting like it. Stop letting excuses steal away your life and go do something impossible.
Keep up the good work,
Nils
I agree with everything listed in the picture. I’m always inspired by people with physical or mental disabilities that seem to accomplish so much, and highly disappointed when a perfectly healthy and able-bodied person accomplishes so little.
One example… There is a man that works at my local grocery store as a bagger at the checkout counter.
In itself, it’s not that amazing. He bags groceries, helps people to their cars, and returns carts to where they need to be. He’s always very happy and willing to talk about whatever when you’re going through the checkout area. His facial expressions are a little weird and he does things a little more slowly than others, but he’s a very pleasant person to see when you go to the store.
It took me a couple years to realize it, but the man is BLIND.
He’s been working at the store so long though and functions so well you don’t realize that he’s blind. I didn’t until I actually asked…
Amazing and inspiring.
If there’s one thing humans are good at (besides regulating body temperature and manipulating objects with opposable thumbs), it’s rationalizing. The next time you catch yourself making excuses to yourself, say them out loud.)