Whether you like it or not, the answer is you. At the end of the day we are all self-made but only the successful will admit it. Everyone else seems to find excuses why they can’t instead of reasons for why they should. We tend to find excuses like there is some type of reward for them. If there is, please let me know so I can collect! When I was younger I had so many but I stopped during my teenage years because I realized they didn’t do anything to change my situation.

William Jennings Bryan summed it up best when he said “Destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice”. Do not confuse your mental decision for not doing something with your physical capacity to do so. For example, don’t say you can’t quit your job when it really is that you won’t quit your job. Many people stay in an occupation they hate because they fear failing in something they would love to do. Nobody likes to admit they are scared so they come up with excuses such as I have a family to feed, I’m getting a little older, or a combination of both. On the surface those excuses seem like valid explanations, but when you get beneath the surface you find that they are still excuses. Read the biographies of some of the most successful people and you will find that most have come from humble beginnings like you and I or have had to overcome great obstacles. There is no difference between you and the person who lives the life you want to live unless you believe that there is.

Now that we have established that anyone can accomplish whatever they put their mind to, we’ll talk about creating your vision. When you are creating your vision do not focus on how just concentrate on where. Focus on where you want to go and not how you will get there. One of my favorite Walkerisms goes like this; “when a destination is chosen a path will be shown”. Too many people get caught up in the how to. It is impossible to learn every single detail and anticipate every problem. Sometimes you have to make your move before you are ready. The timing will never be just right and the initial plan will never be perfect. But be careful, failure to prepare is preparing to fail. It is very fine line you have to walk. On one hand, you need to have a well-thought out plan. On the flip-side, the most dangerous thing in life is taking too many precautions. That leads to analysis paralysis or paralysis analysis. I always get those mixed up. Analysis paralysis is when you think about every little thing and the sheer quantity of analysis overwhelms your decision making. Over time you will be able to make quicker decisions because you will have better judgment. Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment in the past.

The key is getting started, it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes. In fact, it’s only a mistake if you fail to learn from it. Don’t take it as a loss, take it as a lesson. Because once you’re out the there you can always adjust along the way if needed. It’s basically like a rocket going to the moon. Most rockets are off course ninety-seven percent of the time but they have built in a gyroscope to get them back on track. It makes the necessary adjustment to make sure it reaches its destination. Another good example would be a GPS. I have a Garmin Nuvi 660. My Garmin is a neat little invention and has definitely made my life a lot easier. I think I was one of the last people to get one. Anyway, when I want to go somewhere I put in my destination and get started. If I get off course somehow by missing a turn or unexpected detour, it automatically plots a new route to the same destination. That’s how you have to be when you plan your life. Just know where you want to go and be committed to getting there. There will be detours and some missed turns but you have the power to adjust and get back on track. How do you get back on track? You have to have concrete goals. Our next article will be about goal setting because any major accomplishment begins there.

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1. See it before you seize it. Jason Terry got a tattoo of the NBA trophy right before the season started. He believed so much in his team that without playing one game of the new year, he permanently marked his body with the object of his desire. Many great thinkers and people throughout history have universally credited one thing with their success. That “thing” is belief. You have to believe in yourself and have faith that you will reach your goals. Henry Ford said “whether you think you can or can’t you are right”. I think he did pretty well for himself. Another historical great said, “As ye so believe, as will be done unto you”. I think He did pretty well for Himself too!

The sky is the limit for all of us. In life there are no guarantees but you can’t let it stop you. Just jump out there and be committed to the goal. Even better, tell others about it so that you’ll have extra pressure to stay on track. It is a positive way to use social pressure. You’ll get tired of saying “I haven’t gotten around to it” when people ask how your project is going.

2. There will always be “crabs in the bucket”. I turned on the TV after the finals and thought I was watching the reaction to the news of the SEALS getting Bin Laden or coworkers hitting the lottery. Instead it was people in Cleveland celebrating Lebron losing. It is sad to see so many people delighting in someone who has not done major evil losing. I’m not saying he is a saint, but as far as I know he seems to be a decent individual. It is fine to be happy that the other team one but I never like to see anyone lose.

Let me illustrate. I am a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and even though the Steelers are our rivals, I wish no ill will or losing upon anyone. However, I do hope all 16 teams they play against throughout the season win, and win big. Go Ravens!! It is the same result (Steelers losing) but a different mindset. One is positive and the other not so positive.

Every major person in history has had to deal with haters and naysayers. The key is don’t take it personal. An aforementioned historical great said “they know not what they do” (King James version…not Lebron’s). Some people really have nothing better to do than to talk about others. Lebron recently said: “All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today.”
“They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point.”

He received quite a bit of backlash for those comments but they are true. You just have to go about your business and continue to strive for your goals. The haters will still have their problems. What did they gain by him losing (unless they won big in Vegas)? Absolutely nothing. Gratification at watch someone fail doesn’t pay the bills.

Eleanor Roosevelt put it best – Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. No one should ever be responsible for fulfilling someone else’s dreams at the expense of their own. I know the Cavalier fans wanted him to stay and help when a title, but he didn’t. It is time to move on. The city will never win with that mentality. Focusing on what you’ve lost will prevent you from seeing what you can gain.

3. The journey gets harder the nearer you are to the goal. The Finals provided some of the most thrilling basketball games of the season. The defense was crazy! So did the NFL playoffs. Coincidence? No, anytime you have a big goal to accomplish like becoming a world champion, there will be difficult obstacles to overcome. Of course you can try to avoid the big obstacles and live a life of mediocrity but you’ll soon see that the easy path is often the most difficult path.