Random Musings: What’s Your Excuse?
For those of you who don’t already know, I have a minor obsession with personal development (PD) and psychology. While body composition and athletic performance related goals are clearly different from psychology and PD, they are not entirely independent of one another. As such, from time to time you’ll catch me writing small articles discussing my current thoughts and beliefs in regard to certain aspects of life. In case you hadn’t already guessed, this will be one of those articles 
Whats Your Excuse?
The older I get the more excuses I hear. To be perfectly fair, I was that kid in grade school who consistently gave the teacher lame excuses as to why his homework wasn’t completed or why he wasn’t well enough to sit for the day’s exam. Day after day I’d come into school with a flawlessly rehearsed justification for what was truthfully a cover-up for my insufficient motivation and utter disdain for anything having to do with school.
While torturing the substitute teacher and making up ridiculous excuses was particularly fun all through high school, it became significantly less cute as we got older. Let’s be honest, when you’re young it’s oddly endearing to watch the funny kid in class “forget” homework assignments on a daily basis and not give a damn about his report card. However, as time goes on that charming kid turns into the obnoxious ass at work; it’s no longer funny when he neglects his obligations. People start talking behind his back wondering when he’ll finally “grow up” and where he’ll be in 10 years time.
As I get older I find more people becoming depressed and unsatisfied. I see people wandering aimlessly through life void of passion and desire. Unsurprisingly, those who make excuses tend to be the same people who grow accustomed to feeling resentful and disappointed. They are the same people who, for whatever reason, fail to push themselves outside of their comfort zone. They rationalize their depression instead of finding a way to beat it. Rather than put in the time, effort and dedication necessary to see optimal results they settle for mediocrity…they choose the easy way out.
In an attempt to justify their personal shortcomings they equate the success of others to luck and good fortune. It’s easier to blame intangibles such as destiny and chance opposed to accepting the possibility that perhaps they just didn’t give it their all. Instead of viewing their life choices from an objective standpoint and holding themselves to a higher standard, they convince themselves that they were destined for misery as a result of bad luck and poor circumstances.
Hard Work Trump’s Luck
I wrote this article to reinforce the truth that luck is not a prerequisite of success. No matter the circumstance, regardless of how many people tell you “you can’t”, your success and happiness is ultimately determined by your will to succeed.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Pay no heed to those who liken your success to coincidence as they’re simply too scared to chase their own dreams.
Never Minimal. Never Maximal. Always Optimal.
-J
