“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse”
Florence Nightingale
“Ninety-Nine percent of the failures come from people, who have the habit of making excuses.”
George Washington Carver
Florence Nightingale sums it up with her quote on success “I never gave or took an excuse.” How many times have you gave an excuse to why you have not or cannot achieve your dream and goals. In an article by Sophia Davis-Fagan she states “excuses push our goals and dreams farther away from us and if we are not careful, it ultimately kills them.” Thus, the question becomes what excuses have you given as to why, you are where you are and why you have not achieved your deepest desires and dreams. What excuse have you given yourself to easy your pain of frustration and regret.
Here are some excuses you may have provided, yet there are many others.
1. Life happened – life happens to everyone and it’s expected that you along with many others have experienced setbacks and bad decisions that have led to difficult situations.
2. Fear of failure – the fear of failure is a common excuse, but it’s not an adequate reason to prohibit you from forging ahead and achieving your goals. For example, if you don’t try you will never know, as the saying goes shoot for the moon and you’ll land on the stars. The key is at least make an attempt, but if you don’t try then you’ll definitely live in the land of regret and would’ve should’ve.
3. People Factor – don’t allow what people may say or think keep you from achieving your goals or dreams. It is a given that some people may speak negative or question why you are trying to achieve a certain goal. You must not allow others’ opinion of you or what you desire cripple you from what you know you have been designed or destined to achieve.
4. No assistance – when you start to accomplish a goal you must possess an attitude of “if it’s going to be it’s up to me.” Why, possess this mindset because if you are waiting for a particular person to assist you before you get started but for some reason that person can’t then you must keep moving forward. Your dreams are your dreams and ultimately you are responsible and you must hold yourself accountable to achieve them, so remove the excuse that you have to have a certain person to assist you. Yes, you’ll need support, but at times you will have to walk alone. In those times know that is part of the process of achieving greatness.
5. Lack of Resources – when you commence to achieve your passion you may not possess all the capital you need but that still should not prevent you from getting started. You need to start where you can with what you have and as you grow and develop you must use your creativity and ingenuity to create capital.
In closing no one reaches the everglades of success without challenges and obstacles but rest assured that you are no different. The persons that succeed refuses give into making excuses and forfeiting their dreams. It is time now for you to rise out of the ashes of excuses and embrace the dawn of a new day and opportunity with a mindset of not giving yourself an outlet of excuses.
