Are your excuses greater than your dreams?

Inventor of the lightning rod, bifocals and one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else”. But is this now the reality that we are indeed living in an age where our excuses are greater than our dreams?

As a child I had the best fancy dress box. There was no overpriced princess outfit and no sparkly tiara, but I became anything I wanted to be. It was magic. I was the brassy business woman with an oversized suit jacket, I was the rough and ready pirate who cheekily winked beneath her eye patch and I was the doctor who lovingly bandaged every decapitated Barbie’s head back in place. This was my escape from reality, a spellbinding world of possibility where I was invincible, untouchable.

It represented everything I expected life to be. But all too often our childhood ambitions are harshly juxtaposed to the bleak reality of the adult world.

There is always an excuse! We oppress ourselves; we close our minds to that which we once considered possible. We are hammered down by society’s expectations of conformity and we are reluctant to challenge the system. It is so easy to get caught up in everyday trivia; finances, relationships, work… but what the hell happened to real life WHAM BAM SHAZHAM?!

Bring it back! I’m talking about pursuing something you’re passionate about, not settling for second best, and beating those excuses to a pulp. If there isn’t a society or a following for it, make one! Be proactive, take risks, have some guts. But most importantly? Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Say what you think and have an opinion: you never know who might share it.

“I don’t have time”, “I don’t have a talent” and “I don’t have any money.” Sound familiar? Prioritise. Get out of the habit of procrastinating using self talk and abusing the YOLO attitude; try transgressing back to the child with the dressing up box. Why just be interested in following your ambitions? Be committed, an interest will only lead you to pursue the dream when it’s convenient. A commitment accepts no excuses, only results.

Stop hesitating, get a momentum and don’t be scared to fall. Be independent, be proud of what you achieve and do something that makes you happy. Because isn’t that kind of the point? So go on, I dare you – this week, do something crazy, wild or totally unpredictable… without an excuse. Let us know what you did!

Because remember that guy that did nothing? No. Neither does anyone else.