When I think about the reasons people have for not going after their dreams, it often comes down to one or more of these:
“I don’t know how to ________,”
“I don’t have ________,” or
“I can’t because I’m not ________.”
Those blanks list out the information, resources and qualities we feel we’re missing in order to accomplish the big goal.
That feeling of missing something then becomes the reason not to go after it; to settle for something more ‘realistic’; to think that we don’t have what it takes.
I’m beginning to think we have it all wrong: The things we use as excuses are only excuses if we allow them to be; they can also be catalysts if we choose to see them as opportunities.
Van Gogh was onto something when he said, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
What if we took those thoughts we had, and instead of simply believing them, did everything in our power to challenge them?
And what if instead of assuming that we should already know, have and be everything we need to be in order to fulfil the dream, we gave ourselves permission to figure it out along the way?
When we confine ourselves to dreams that seem totally doable, it means we’re eliminating the possibility of surprising ourselves with what we’re capable of.
Which, if you think about it, means we’re basically going after dreams that are already within our comfort zone.
It also means we’re trying (perhaps unconsciously) to prevent any potential failure and ensure success.
Luckily, there’s an easy fix: When we catch ourselves using a variation of the reasons listed above to justify not doing something, we can take a different path.
Dream bigger.
Let yourself be surprised by who you are.