22 Excuses For Playing Too Small and Not Living Your Destiny

This weekend I watched the movie “Finding Joe” about a concept Joseph Campbell researched he describes as the Hero’s Journey. It’s a saga seen across nearly every kind of myth in just about every culture – and still being played out today in Hollywood blockbusters. (Think Star Wars, Shrek or Lord of the Rings.) The hero discovers they are more than they imagined and in the process they overcome obstacles to ‘slay’ their own dragons. Then they return transformed in some way and share the “magical” gifts.

I see the Hero’s Journey playing out with Mavericks entrepreneurs repeatedly. It’s the cycle of Start-up, growth and then legacy.

At many events for Maverick1000 members, I’ve asked a somewhat interesting question…

“Do you feel like you’re destined for greatness?”

No, not in an egotistical type of way — but simply in a quiet knowing way that you’ve been tapped to contribute something more. I’ve always heard that quiet voice in my ear but also the devastating echo of feeling like I could fall short of my potential.

I created Maverick1000 to intentionally give exceptional entrepreneurs the push and support essential to accomplish what truly matters.

But what stops us from living up to our potential? Or from ‘Following our Bliss’ as Joseph Campbell calls its.

Our logical mind is sometimes the biggest culprit stepping up and rationalizing with all kinds of reasons why we can’t or shouldn’t do something meaningful right now. Or something that sings to you. Not all these excuses apply but if you were honest with yourself there might be a handful of pesky ones keeping you from truly doing what nourishes you.

See if any of these strike home…

Time:

1. I’ve got plenty of time to get around to that later on…
2. I don’t have any time to do that.
3. It’s just not the right time. I need to finish <whatever> first. I want to sell my business first. When the kids <leave the house>, etc.

Money:

4. I can’t see how that will pay my bills.
5. I really need to work on the other things that make me money right now.

Reputation:

6. What will my <friends/neighbors/colleagues/family/pets> think of me?
7. Nobody would be interested in that from me.
8. This is not what I’m known for. That’s not what I’ve done before and my “identity/positioning” can’t be confused in the <marketplace>.
9. My team is not the right one for this next phase.
10. What if it doesn’t work and I fail? I would look pretty stupid and everybody would say “I told you so…”

Trust:

11. I don’t think it’ll work anyway so why try it?
12. I don’t even know exactly what I want to do anyway so I’ll just keep doing this.
13. I tried something like this before and it never worked.
14. What if I ‘leap’ and the net doesn’t actually appear?
15. I cannot commit to one thing – I have too many ideas.

Unknown:

16. I don’t know the exact next steps.
17. I need to talk to a <consultant/friend/colleague/snake charmer> first. I need more information.
18. It’s easy for <Richard Branson> because they have <connections> but I couldn’t do that.

Waiting:

19. I’d do it if I <was older/younger, prettier/cooler/didn’t have kids, etc>.
20. I’m doing fine right now as I am.
21. It doesn’t really matter if I do this or not.
22. I need to get it just right before I put it out into the world.

These excuses could be stopping you from the next phase in your life or just from putting something you’ve been afraid to do (i.e. write a book on a totally different subject, switch paths, etc.)

Aligning with what gives us more joy, bliss and happiness naturally expands who you are. Sometimes we have to come to the edge of what and who we think we are in order to transform.

For me personally the last few years have been one of the biggest periods of change in my life. Many of the old ways I looked at my identity didn’t fit anymore. I just couldn’t see myself only being an Internet Marketing guru for years and years more. It forced me to dig deeper into what my gifts truly are and how to live in a more authentic state. Part of that exploration has been starting and building Maverick and I’ll be sharing a lot more of this path on this blog.

Let me know what you think or if you’re up for it – post an excuse you see holding you back. Once you identify it and look it ‘in the eye’ it starts losing its power over you.

Update: I’ve just recently connected with the creator of the Finding Joe movie and I had forgotten about this blog post. What a wonderful small world it is!