Success is not built on success itself; success is built on frustration and failures. Success is built on small failures that we have over time. Success is built as we learn from those failures. As we learn precious information from those failures, we adapt, and we change.
We fear that if one door closes that’s it for us. People give up immediately but what we need to understand is that door wasn’t meant for us. That’s ok there is something more out there for us. The enemy we deal with is the enemy within. There are three types.
First, there is the external enemy. These are the naysayers. These are the people who say you’re not good enough, smart enough, the right whatever, the right demographic. You’re not supposed to be successful. Even family and friends may be naysayers. That’s the external attack.
And then there’s the intimate enemy. These are the loved ones, the ones who are closest to you. They subconsciously sabotage your success by telling you that you shouldn’t reach too high. Maybe you should just be complacent, to be average is enough. Maybe it’s ok to just take that 9 to 5 job and not to stretch too much. They love us so they actually think they’re doing us a favor by shackling us and holding us back from reaching our potential. Be very careful about the intimate ones.
Finally, there’s the internal enemy. That is our very own self-saboteur. The voice within ourselves. That’s the greatest of all because in reality, the other two don’t matter. The other two you can defeat and overcome at any time by not paying attention to them.
The one that matters the most is that negative little voice the keeps telling you that you’re not good enough. You’re not the right one. I made a mistake therefore it must not be for me. That door that closed, that big opportunity, that one thing that you knew if you only made it happen it would totally change your life. It didn’t happen therefore it wasn’t meant for you to do. Then you give up… see tried it, done it, ok now I can feel better about myself for not doing anything because I tried it. That’s the one you need to get rid of that.
The internal saboteur is one of two parts of you. You hear the natural man who is constantly trying to defeat you. Then there is an enlightened man that’s the good part of you. You’re the one that says no. You have the God given ability to become great. That’s the little voice you need to cultivate and listen to. Not the other one the keeps telling you that you’re the wrong person for this or that. That it’s too hard – that’s the one you need to get away from.
I ran into a fellow a few years ago and he noticed that I had been to the gym. He is about 10 to 15 years older than me. He just said to me it must be good to be young and I thought to myself you’ve given up. What’s the difference between me at 57 and you at 67? You gave up and I didn’t. I guess old people aren’t supposed to go out and get in great shape.
You see, mentally, we just put ourselves in little boxes. We say, ok I’m just too fat so I can’t do this. I’m too old. This is what old people look like, feel like, should act like. No! you don’t have to do that! The rest of the world may want to do that because that’s easier than getting out and making a change.
Create a vision board for yourself. I decided that I wanted to change myself physically. I envisioned what I wanted to look like, and it happened because I put that out to the universe and the universe delivered to me. I saw it, I envisioned it, and my actions followed suit.
Action separates those who succeed and those who don’t. It’s the dream vs the fairy tale. Do you just dream about what you want to become but in reality, that’s just the fairy tale? It’s some distant thing and you’re dreaming about it. Or do you take action and make it happen? That’s the difference between living a fulfilled life or a life full of regret.
Ask yourself…. Are your actions getting you closer to your goals and dreams? If not, then take action today. Today is the day you change. Today is the day that you take responsibility for yourself. No one else out there is going to take responsibility for you. Don’t relinquish your right to fulfill your life the way you should, the way you can, the way it’s meant to be. Whatever you define what you want your life to be it’s up to you to get it. Remember it isn’t random. Success is never an accident.
