The # 1 Reason You Can’t Succeed!

Quick! Go take a selfie, or look in the mirror. Why? So you can show yourself the only obstacle standing in the way of your success. It’s exactly what, or rather, who you see looking back at you. YOU are the only thing standing in your own way.

 

“How much do you let yourself off the hook rather than hold yourself accountable for your success?” Ray Dalio

Before we talk some more about you, I want to share a story I heard from Zig Zigler:

There was a 10 year old boy who tragically lost his left arm in an accident.  The boy’s father wanted him to regain confidence in himself so he encouraged him to begin taking judo lessons.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move. “Sensei,”(Teacher in Japanese) the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. The Sensei would always use different moves, but the boy only kept learning his one move in defense. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. The boy was naturally nervous in light of his handicap and never having competed before. He asked the Sensei, are you sure I am ready? The answer a resounding yes. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to defeat him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.

He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

 

The boy’s greatest weakness became his greatest strength.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee

So what is the obstacle in your life that is holding you back?

In his book The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan Holiday wrote about the way to overcome an obstacle, which is to go through the obstacle instead of attempting to dodge it. http://www.amazon.com/The-Obstacle-Is-Way-Timeless/dp/1591846358

Here is a summary of his thoughts along with my review:

Perception

“You will come across obstacles in life— fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and time again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure.”

The way you are looking at the problem can change the way you overcome the problem. Remember most of your problems are what we call first world problems. Most of the world wishes they had your problems. If you can’t see the other side of the problem, then sharing your issue and asking for input from others can help you reframe the issue or find a possible way forward.

Action

“Our movements and decisions define us: We must be sure to act with deliberation, boldness, and persistence.”

Taking action is the first step. It will not be easy and the path will not be straight, but taking action is required to fix the issue. Smart people will find experts to help them take action and guide them through the issues. When it comes to taking action, focus on the next step up instead of the summit of the mountain.

Will

“Will is our internal power, which can never be affected by the outside world. It is our final trump card. If action is what we do when we still have some agency over our situation, the will is what we depend on when agency has all but disappeared.”

Most people just don’t try. They see an obstacle and give up, but that’s not really a solution. No one can give you internal power; that is something you must find on your own. When you are inspired to make a change, let me know; I love to work with inspired people. More often than not, it’s the grind that makes us great. It’s the times we look back on and remember as part of the journey that makes life worth living.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”  — Marcus Aurelius

 

Now that you know your obstacle, what action are you going to take today to change your life into one of abundance?

3 steps to get you started

1. Imagine – What would your life be like if you won the lottery tomorrow? Do yourself a favor, go out and buy a ticket. Just one please. Now start dreaming about what your life would be like. Sitting on a beach drinking Mai Tai’s only works for a short time, so that doesn’t count. Spend at least a week dreaming about it and think through what it really means. How would you fill your day and how would you lead a life that has purpose?
2. Find the nuggets – Look through your life and see what you can start doing today and what you can start working on for tomorrow. If you want to write, paint, fish, – what can you do today that allows you to move one step closer to doing one of those activities? Is there something you can start to do that would change your work life closer to what your ideal life would be?

3. Share your dreams and take action. Taking action is something most people don’t do. Now by action, we aren’t talking about big moves, just a tiny step. Maybe it’s reading up on a subject, or reaching out to someone living your dream life or volunteering where you love.

Remember: the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best is today. It’s your turn to start living an abundant life.……

If you know someone who could be helped by this information please share it with them.