According to world-renowned Motivational Speaker Tony Robbins, 'Often when you ask someone what they want in their lives, they start telling you what they don't want. The challenge with this thinking is that where focus goes, energy flows. If you keep focusing on what you don't want, that's where your energy goes. Once you are clear about what you want, your brain starts to notice and associate to the things that will help you make it happen.' Don't just see possible pitfalls; train your mind to recognize opportunities. Roadblocks are often healthy conduits which force you to innovate.
All outcomes are learning lessons and not failures. However, never trying is an actual act of failure because your ideas never have a chance. When Jim Carrey spoke at Iowa's Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony, he said, "So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn't believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant." But when Carrey was just 12, his father lost that "safe job" and his family was forced "to do whatever we could to survive" in the aftermath. "I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love," Carey continued.
Where some are too afraid to try, others succeed against all odds. Nina Simone was a childhood musical prodigy, playing classical piano by ear at age 3. In spite of being denied entry into the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, she created over 40 original albums, becoming one of the most iconic 20th century artists. Two days before dying, she received an Honorary Diploma from the very same institute that originally rejected her. She proved that the impossible IS possible, only if you believe in yourself. Remember, you can’t expect others to believe in your dreams if they lack the courage to follow their own.
Perhaps the most important skill is leveraging all your talents and connections to maximize your opportunities. The more you can offer, the more valuable you become. Many famous artists succeeded in several disciplines by doing this. For example, Johnny Depp was a performing musician well before he was an actor. Madonna's career in modern dance preceded her formidable singing one. Don’t pigeonhole yourself!
The United States allows us freedom to pursue our dreams. Someone, somewhere in the world, would give ANYTHING for this opportunity, yet they sit in a refugee camp or lack the freedom to express themselves. Remember, if you're not moving closer towards your goals, you're drifting further away from them. The most important currency we have is time. Unlike money, you cannot simply go out and earn more. The universe is infinitely abundant, so let your only competition be your former self and go for it!