Grit, Guts & Glory – Performing to Our Potential

In the renowned movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith said, ‘Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something. You got a dream? You got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves so they tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, you go get it. Period.’

People have this recurring nightmare that they are being held back by a force that is powerful and restraining. And no matter what they try, they are never able to break free from that force. The ghost in your nightmare, the chain that you think is holding you back, the anchor that you think is dragging you down, that force is none other than YOU.

I believe that there are two basic perspectives on life’s hardships. First is to blame the world and everyone in it for the hardships you’re facing, and the second is to overcome hardships by working through what can be done better. It's often easier and more comforting to pin blame for our woes on someone else. You know what's so ironic about it? We want people to give us assurances, but we don't want to give ourselves independent assurance.

That's the sort of problem with most of us: we're always looking for scapegoats for our shortcomings. To turn things around, we must reassess ourselves. Look in the mirror and ask, "Why am I only achieving 50% of my potential? Why am I not striving to go forward? Am I falling prey to the classic victim mentality?”.

It may take a while to admit it to ourselves but chances are that the answer to the last question is a loud YES. Believe me when I say, there is no reason to fall short of our maximum potential. THERE IS NO EXCUSE. We didn't come to make excuses. We are here to be the best version of ourselves. And our toughest hurdle? Self-doubt. And how do we overcome that? Take action! Let’s get off our ass and get things done. Let’s do the things that fulfil us and become more of who we are.

We must put ourselves in a position of making “sacrifices”. No more binge watching television, midnight munchies, or other sinfully sweet activities. No, we impenetrably and incessantly have to work on taking ourselves to the next level. It's just something we owe to ourselves.

How do I do it? Every day, I demand more of myself than anybody else could ever ask of me. I'm not competing against anyone else; I'm competing with myself. It’s always going to be me.

Same way, it’s always going to be you vs yourself.

You will need to get up every morning, be disciplined, and work consistently; hard AND smart. Because this is how you will be great. Your coach, teacher, parent, mentor, or role model will only be able guide you, but to attain it, it’s all in your hands. You need to value yourself enough to put in 120%. You must be your own Hercules, because you are the only one who can accomplish it for yourself.

So what has to change? YOU have to change. Stop playing the victim and telling yourself that you have to wait for great things to happen to you. They won’t. Commit to yourself that you are going to push through hurdles in order to learn, to grow and to ACHIEVE. Remind yourself that you'll do everything in your ability to avoid being a victim by becoming the VICTOR.

Why? Because you owe it to yourself and if you choose to, no one can stop you. Stay consistent when motivation dies, and stay disciplined when all else fails.

There is no glory without guts and grit.

Vama Maniar