Hop, skip and a jump

“Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.” Doug Larson

It’s a funny thing, the mind.  We underestimate just how powerful it is far too often.  If only we could harness the power—truly connect to its supremacy with uncluttered consciousness—imagine the rewards.  It would enable us to accomplish just about anything we set out to do, whatever we set our minds to.  It’s a great saying, “set your mind to it”.  I’m saying let’s set our minds to setting our minds.  Believe that nothing is impossible, that no one thing is out of reach, no matter what the challenges, despite the risks and odds.  The problem is, we all too often focus on the odds.

I’m not much of a gambler, but I’ll bet I can give you a fresh perspective.  I’ll even dare to go so far as to say that it WILL work. But not without effort… come on you should know me by now.  NOTHING just happens, if you work it, it will work.  There’s a cute little tale that I so love to tell my kids and students, and I would like to share it with you now…

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs that arranged a running competition (these were some competitive frogs, let me tell you). The goal was simple: to reach the top of a very high tower – an ambitious feat for these tiny four-legged hoppers.  Well, on that day a large crowd had gathered around the tower to watch the race, and cheer on the contestants.

The race began…and quite honestly, no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would ever reach the top of the tower.  It was a tough vertical climb and the crowd knew it.  Statements and jeers such as “Oh, that’s WAY too difficult!”, “They will NEVER make it to the top!”, “NO CHANCE will they ever succeed. That tower is TOO high and they are sooooooooooo TINY!” could be heard throughout the race.

Soon after the race began, a few of the tiny frogs began collapsing, one after the other.  The other competitors kept going, climbing higher and higher. But the crowd continued to heckle and yell their taunts and disbeliefs, “It’s TOO difficult!!! No one will ever make it! Why bother?!”

Soon more tiny frogs got tired and started to give up.  The crowd was relentless, “Give it up all ready! You won’t succeed anyway!” more and more frogs were defeated by the climb.  All but one.

One tiny frog persisted to climb higher and higher; this one just wouldn’t give up!  By the end of the race, all of the tiny frogs had dropped out and given up the dream of climbing the tower. All but one that is, who, after much effort, managed to reach the top of the tower.

Naturally everyone was astounded and had to know HOW he was able to do it.

A contestant asked the winner how he had found the strength and motivation to succeed and reach his goal, but the tiny frog didn’t answer; he just smiled and beamed with joy.

As it turned out, the tiny frog was deaf. And he couldn’t hear the discouraging remarks from the crowd.

The point of the story is this: the frog never gave in to the disbelief around him.  The frog couldn’t hear the jeers and verbal jabs from the disbelieving crowd and he won out in the end.  I’m not suggesting we should all be deaf in the literal sense, but I am suggesting we learn to shut ourselves off from what doesn’t serve us.

Far too often we ourselves dismiss our dreams.  We get bogged down by the voices of “reason” and self-sabotage.  But whose reason is it? Societal, parental, your friends, your fear? How often do you hear that little voice in your head that says, “you can’t do this” and actually listen to it?  Be honest.  How often are you defeated even before you’ve begun?

It’s time to shut yourself off from the voice that tells you NO.  Stop listening to the non-believers – perhaps you may have to reevaluate whom you choose to spend your time with.  If you rely on others to lift you up, don’t forget that you open yourself up to them bringing you down, too. It’s time to cultivate your self-esteem, it’s time to focus your energy and consciousness on YES and follow your heart, without the noise of NO.

Always remember, the greater your desire, the greater the challenge, the sweeter the reward.  If part of the challenge is to shut yourself off from what negates you achieving what you have set out to do, then so be it.  Keep pushing on, focus on one step at a time and keep looking forward, because when you understand how the task is connected to your true purpose, you’ll find a way to get it done.  No matter what.  As I always say, the process is the purpose.  Fill your mind with thoughts of the very best you can imagine. Filter out the voice of self-sabotage and only think your way in the direction of where you truly wish to go, and go.

When you make that leap you have the full support of God, or whomever you believe in, the Universe, the Light, all that is.  The greater your passion, and the greater the detail of how you wish your world to be, is how it will be.  When you don’t know what’s at stake, when you don’t believe the possibility of failure, success is but a few hops away.

JOURNAL:

1. When faced with a new endeavor what is your mindset? Do you view what’s against you?
2. Or what you have to look forward to?
3. Does your belief in yourself stem from others’ belief in you?