If we are lucky when we are growing up we get bits of wisdom and support from the people raising us. Things like…

“You can do anything you put your mind to”

or

“If you can dream it you can build it”

When we are small we don’t really understand what is being said. We don’t grasp the true meaning. I believe that even after we are grown we still don’t truly grasp these statements. Or maybe we become a little too skeptical and we start to see that, NO, we can’t do anything. There are real limits to this world and our lives. We see these statements as just feel good statements that we tell kids to improve their self-esteem.

This mindset is common with just about everyone that surrounds us.

However, I think that if we continue to value education, if we strive to understand the world around us, if we try to always get better, our mindset will keep evolving and we will grasp the true meaning of not just the words but the idea behind the quips.

I have come to believe that these statements are true. Even for adults. There just needs to be some understanding of the process behind them.

The first is time.

If we have something we want to acquire or achieve, especially if it is large it will take time for regular people. If in your life right now money is no object for you, you can go buy anything you desire, time isn’t really an issue. For the rest of us, we need to understand that getting to our goals isn’t an overnight thing. We all wish it was, but that is not the case. Achievement takes a long time. It may take your whole life.

So, if we can push the thinking regarding our time horizon out to forever and work towards the goal the whole time we stand a much better shot at achieving it.

But, there is a second component, and this is the hard one.

There is a price to be paid for the achievements we are working for.

Everything in this world has a price. It isn’t always money. Your goals could cost you time, or your relationships. They could cost you your values, morals, or freedom. They could cost you your family. You truly can do anything you put your mind to, but there will always be a price to pay.

Now it is at this point where people separate themselves from the heard. For some individuals, these prices are too high. They won’t pay and therefore will not get what they want. Some other people will gladly pay these prices and more on their way to their desires.

My view is that this pay scale is a continuum. On one end you have those who don’t achieve what they believe they should because they are not willing to spend their money, or put in the time, or give up their social lives to get to that goal. They won’t pay the price. The other end of the scale is filled with those who will lie, cheat, steal, and end up isolated at the end of their lives with all of their stuff.

I don’t think people are truly happy on either extreme. It takes a balance to be happy, however, I do believe that if you want to reach extreme success and to “do anything you put your mind to” you must skew towards the end of the continuum where you pay what it takes. This decision can be disruptive to your life and those around you. Once you truly decide what you want and see what you must do to get there it can be uncomfortable because you will have to look in the mirror to see what type of person you are. Can you achieve your goals? Or are you scared of the price and just stick to what you know.

The trick is to decide what your personal tipping point is. What do you want, and how much are you willing to pay for it? As with everything in life it isn’t black and white, there is no answer I can give you. You have to figure it out.

But I will tell you, thinking about this concept gets me out of bed every day. As soon as my alarm goes off I say to myself. What is the price, and am I willing to pay it?

 

Chris