By Bayo Ogunmupe
The human mind is wonderful. It is also a good liar and excuse machine that frequently convinces us not to take actions that are beneficial to us. This ultimately prevents many successes in our lives. Our mind does this because it wants comfort. The mind is afraid of discomfort, pressure and change. When the mind is in its comfort zone, anytime we try to stretch that zone too far, for too long, the mind desperately tries to get back to ground zero at any cost. This way it sacrifices our long term good health, happiness and success. So, here are three of the mind's most regretful deceptions and excuses that deter our progress.
One, "They can do it, but that doesn't apply to me because they are better than me." That means just because someone else can, doesn't mean you can? Here your mind is looking for excuses why you cannot compete with another person. Inferiority complex you say? You then attribute his success to being an internet guru or because he has no kids to tend like you. That is absolute balderdash, you are cowering into your comfort zone. Okay, but it is easy to find excuses: but look at all the other people who have considerable obstacles too but who've done it. There are stories of people who have reinvented themselves at odd ages- 50 year olds starting families, 71 year olds starting successful businesses and so forth. Obstacles are to be overcome.
Two, "Life is meant to be easy and enjoyed." Certainly that is plausible, but the problem is that the idea that life should always be easy and enjoyed is a justification for laziness and immaturity. You might as well sit on the couch and scarf down those potato chips, because life was meant to be easy and enjoyed. You can give up much comfort in your life and not lose a thing. In fact the path of least resistance is often the path of least reward. Success isn't cheap, if it is so everyone will be rich. There are no short cuts to greatness. As the Nobel laureate and the greatest physicist of all time Albert Einstein once said, "Genius is one percent talent and 99 percent hard work." You must run to be an award winning Olympian. You must write to be a writer. You must work assiduously on a venture to learn how to run a successful business. There is no substitute doing the work. So imbibe the affirmation, "Life is only worth the work you put into it."
Three, "I can do it later." That is procrastination, but procrastination is the thief of time. Why should your later self be more disciplined than now? This culture of procrastination promotes indiscipline. So today, stop making excuses as to why you cannot get your work done on schedule. Start focusing on reasons why you must make things happen immediately. Stop thinking on what you are going to do, do it now. Whatsoever thou desires to do, do it immediately. Reserve not to the evening what the morning can do. That is a rendering of a Rosicrucian aphorism from 'On to thee I grant', by Dr Spencer Lewis. Great things in life don't happen by chance, they happen by design. You never know what's possible until you risk finding out. In the end, the only thing that will make you fail to achieve your dream is your failure to take action today.
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