The Truth Will Set You Free – Part 19 of 20

I recently read a post on Johnny B. Truant’s blog that really hit home. So much so that I wanted to do two things: share it with my readers and 2) think on and write about each piece of his post. The post is “20 Truths About Life No One Wants To Believe” and the next one I am going to tackle is:

19. The people you look up to are just as nervous as you are. Succeeding gets a lot easier when you realize that everyone who has ever succeeded has doubted that things will work, has failed terribly, and has generally been where the rest of are: worrying and certain that they aren’t good enough. (Bonus fact: Those people you look up to also don’t start being bulletproof and perfect AFTER they’ve succeeded. They actually remain human until the day they die.)

A couple things occur to me here: 1) not starting because you think successful people are different than you is – plain and simple – an (poor) excuse and 2) success is a collection of habits, a way of being, that when executed properly and consistently leads to great to achievement and peace of mind.

Let me take number one first.

To not start because you don’t think you have “what it takes” is simply inaccurate. Are there variations in talent and physical ability? Sure. But they don’t really matter.

Is Wes Welker built the same way as Calvin Johnson? Nope. But Wes makes the most of what he has and created an amazing NFL career. So has Calvin Johnson. One is 5′ 9″ and the other 6′ 5″ and one runs a 4.65 40 and the other 4.32 (a significant difference, if you’re not familiar with 40-yard-dash times), but both are All-Pro receivers and are highly coveted by NFL teams.

Are their “games” different? Certainly.

Is Calvin Johnson a “prototypical” receiver? Yup.

Is Wes Welker? Nope. That didn’t stop Wes though.

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Number two is even more important, and relevant. What we do regularly is what matters.

Our habits are everything. Sure, one-time, extraordinary, actions can have an impact on our lives, but they are rare.

It’s what we do day-in and day-out that makes up our lives.

When we consciously, authentically and intelligently design our lives and institute positive rituals we set the stage for amazing things.

We need not worry that creating a set of powerful habits will diminish spontaneity or creativity either.

The reassurance and confidence we gain from knowing that much of our life has been sorted allows us to do great things in the remaining space – and there will be a great deal of that space if we are taking care of the details properly.

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So, know that everyone starts out as a beginner and that what we do regularly matters.