Give Me A Break

The most dangerous and life threatening psychological illness-afflicting America today is what Dr. Martin Seligman calls “Learned Helplessness.”

More than twenty-five years of research in cognitive psychology, the study of how your thoughts affect your behaviors, has reached a startling conclusion; chains of our own making bind us all.

Amahans Maslow said that the story of the human race is the story of men and women “selling themselves short.” We have a tendency to settle for less and to make excuses instead of progress.

Give me a break! You’ve heard the saying, “I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet.” Well, I’m just as tempted, as you are to fall in love with my excuses for the things I’m not happy about, but unfortunately, it can become a real trap!

Everyone wants to be happy, healthy, and financially independent and working at something they enjoy. Well, why aren’t they? Why aren’t you? What are your excuses? What’s holding you back?

But, you say, “I have very good and valid reasons for being in this unsatisfactory situation.”

Do you? Here’s the test. Ask yourself, “Is there anyone else with my particular problem or obstacle that is succeeding in spite of it?”

If there is, your excuse doesn’t hold water. Whatever it is, there are probably thousands of men and women who’ve had it far worse than you could ever imagine, who have overcome their obstacles and are doing well.

There are men and women who have become paraplegics and quadriplegics, confined to wheel chairs for life, who are busy, happy, successful and respected by those around them.

There are men and women with every conceivable problem who are building good lives for themselves.

Give me a break! What they have done, you can do. They’d probably give anything to trade places with you. Your excuses don’t hold water. Go for it!

By: Brian Tracy