Stop Waiting — No One is Coming to Save You

“You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself.” — Seth Godin

Waiting for the right moment is a form of fear. Fear that keeps you average but not fulfilled. It teaches you to avoid doing what you need to do.

A friend of mine had a dream to work for Carmax, but they told him that he was not qualified. So he got mad and started his own company. Now his income exceeds 1 million dollars per year. Is it time for you to get angry too? It is time for you to declare that you are ready. Do not wait for other people to decide your future.

You are ready now, but you do not feel like it. We live in a society that brainwashed us to believe that the easiest way to succeed is to get chosen. So if you want a better job, apply for 100 jobs, and pray, one of them will choose you.

Change

I know starting something on your own is hard. Seth Godin wrote about this difficulty, "We are naturally afraid of change, but without starting something, you'll always be stuck and waiting for something or someone to tell you to move."

You don't have to be a genius to initiate change. For example, if you see something that you don't like, change it. For instance, if someone you work with makes many mistakes, offer to help them, so you make everyone's job easier.

If your manager is struggling to talk about a difficult subject, speak to them about it, stop waiting for them to build their courage, initiate the conversation. If your spouse is doing something that is bothering you, don't let your anger build up. Instead, talk to them about it.

They saved themselves.

We often look at successful people, idolize them, and wonder how they did it.

We judge them based on their successful ideas because we don't know how hard they struggled and failed in the dark.

For example, Oprah Winfrey has had a history of failed shows and projects, but she is well respected in society because everyone judges her based on her biggest hits. Oprah didn't wait for some executive to save her. She saved herself.

Early in his life, Kobe Bryant played in the local summer league and didn't score a single point for the entire summer. Read that again. Kobe admits that he was an awful player. He couldn't dribble and couldn't shoot.

After his disappointing historical performance, he went to work. He started by focusing on the basics, improving one small thing every day. He later became one of the best players ever.

No one could outwork Kobe. His story proves what happens when someone decides to save themselves and not wait on others. Kobe won a 5x NBA champion, and his not-so-kept secret is hard work.

Dance with your fears.

My inner voice held me down for a long time. It convinced me that I was not smart enough, strong enough, or good enough to do what I was trying to do. So I finally learned to silence my inner voice and save myself.

If you feel stuck and your inner voice is holding you down. Ignore that voice.

Some people allow fears to keep them stuck in their situations. Fear can keep you stuck and control your mindset. Tim Ferris silences his fear by stating his fear out loud, “By becoming familiar with the worst-case scenario, you begin to melt the fear holding you back.”

He designed an exercise called ‘fear setting; Ferris learned that it was easier to defeat it in real life when he faced his fear on paper. Then, he understood that fear was holding him down and preventing him from accomplishing his goals.

My questions for you today. What is holding you down?