Give it a Shot!

How many times in life do we say no to ourselves?  How many times we do limit our world? How many times do we fail because we thought we would never succeed?

When I want to know something I ask. Who cares if others think I am an idiot? Do you know what I have learned with this attitude? Many people come up to me and thank me because they were afraid to ask and wanted to know the answer too.  See, we think we will all look like idiots, but we all want to know and are afraid to ask. Personally, I know my IQ. I was brought up in my sisters shadow and was told I was dumb. They were wrong. You know what, so what. I am no genius but I am no dummy and that is fine with me. If you think I am stupid that's your problem. I know my IQ!

 I worked in the financial aid office of a major university many years ago. Since then I  encourage people to try and go to college. You don't know if you don't try. I encouraged one friend of my sons. He was living with an Aunt and had no hopes beyond High School. He was in a good situation to get funding. He was a quiet boy but very helpful and nice. According to his Aunt he had struggles as a student and she was surpised I encouraged him.  Years later she wrote me a letter about his acceptance in a well known chef's school and how proud she was of him. Inadvertantly I encouraged him and despite what he had been told by everyone, he went for it!

If you believe you will fail, you will as you won't even try.  Don't restrict yourself with the negatives given to you by others.  What is the worse that can happen by trying? It's a no. But see if you don't try it's an automatic no.  You are saying no before the others can.  Many successful actors have had many rejections before they could get their foot in the door and they kept trying.  Harrison Ford worked many years doing carpentry work before his career took off.  We see the end of the story, not often the beginning.  It takes time and perserverance for success!

 One simple example: "I want to go to the pool today, but people will be there and then they will stare and I guess I'll just stay home.!"  I want to go, but others MAY be there and they MAY stare so I should stay home? Besides the fact that you should go if you want to, there are two maybes here that you are basing your no to yourself. What if you are wrong on either account? You stayed in on a nice day when you could have enjoyed the water and the sunshine and maybe even made a friend but you didn't because you sunk your own battleship first.

Sometimes things look overwhelming. One thing that AA tells everyone is to take one day at a time! This is good for everyone. Rome wasn't built in a day and most things you may want like a college degree are going to take time.  Don't look at the awe of it, take a step each day towards your dream. Take a class and see how you do. Find out if you like it and build up your confidence from there.  Before you know it you accomplished something.  So what if you are 50...you are going to be 54 in 4 years, wouldn't you rather have a 2 year degree and heading for a 4 year degree by then?  Wouldn't you like to do more than the job you are doing and make more. 

Follow your dreams! The Grand Canyon took thousands of years of droplets of water and sand to create this awesome sight.  It is the greatest example I think of what repeated effort can bring. I often use it as an example like the power of prayer.  We think our prayers are not worth much, but like many votes it can turn an election!  If a prayer is one person speaking, than many prayers must be like the roar of a crowd!

So go on, ignore those what if's, go GIVE IT A SHOT!!