There are endless rationalizations that we can use to explain why we settle for less than what we have the capacity for. We can get into the habit of accepting less from ourselves and, in turn, start expecting less from life. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of using where we have been, or what has happened to us, as a reason, explanation and defense as to where we are now. But, as much as this word may feel uncomfortable because it shines the light back on ourselves, aren’t they all just excuses?
Excuses serve as justification to limit our ability to rise to our true potential. When you believe the excuses you habitually use, you also unconsciously set a bar as to what you are capable of achieving. Many of the reasons we use to explain why we continue doing what have always been doing stem from our own self beliefs. But when the life you are living is not in alignment with the life you were meant to live, it feels as though something is missing.
You can hear yourself saying all the right things to explain why everything is the way it is. There is a logical reason to justify your current situation, but deep down inside something does not sit right with you. You know that you haven’t even tapped into your potential. Within your heart, you know that there’s a deeper reason for your life. There’s a dream deep in your heart that is bigger than the life that your mind can ever conceive. You do yourself a disservice anytime you allow an excuse to extinguish your ambition.
Think about how many times you have given up on something because you told yourself, “I’m not smart enough”, “I’m not strong enough”, “I’m too fat”, “I’m too small”, “I don’t have enough money”, or “I don’t have enough time.” The most interesting thing about excuses is that they are not fact. You will never really know that you do not have what it takes to succeed if you never try. Excuses are what you tell yourself to justify not taking a risk and moving out of your comfort zone.
Start to question the validity of the excuses you make for your actions or inactions. You’ll start to see that an excuse is not based on truth and only exists to keep you from stepping outside of your comfort zone. Yes, it is inevitable that you will experience up and downs while you’re chasing your dreams. You will encounter obstacles that make you question yourself and your abilities. But it’s what you tell yourself in the face of those obstacles that make all the difference, that keep you growing and moving towards your dreams and purpose. When you’re willing to think outside of your limitation, excuses disappear. You may not have excelled at something in your past, but that doesn’t preclude you from future accomplishments. Best of all, possibilities and opportunities start to present themselves when we focus on what we can achieve.
Anything worth achieving in life will always come with complications and uncertainty. Sometimes these complications actually result in unleashing strengths and attributes you were unaware that you even possess. Don’t let excuses keep you from realizing your true potential. Making excuses as to why you couldn’t achieve your goals, or move forward with them, will only help to keep you where you are. When you look back on your life so far, whatever excuse you can come up with is never going to be the true reason you didn’t achieve your goals. Instead, ask yourself, “What excuses did I use, believe in and give in to? Did I give up too soon?”
Don’t let what has happened in your past be your excuse not to move forward with life.
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the b*****t story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort
Copyright Dr. Julie Doobay 2023