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"The only thing stopping you from getting what you want, is the excuse you keep telling yourself about why you can't have it." - Tony Robbins
by chriskelley 16y ago
"The only thing stopping you from getting what you want, is the excuse you keep telling yourself about why you can't have it." - Tony Robbins
- sown 16y agoI don't know what to say to that. It seems like uplifting but empty advice, the kind of stuff you'd expect from Tony Robins. Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut.
- ryanwaggoner 16y agoMy father-in-law was an astronaut. He's a smart guy, but he grew up in some podunk town in Virginia, his family was decidedly middle class, and he went to a public high school. But he worked hard, got accepted to the Air Force Academy, and eventually became an astronaut. Then the Challenger blew up and NASA and the Air Force parted ways, so he was no longer an astronaut. Instead, he's spent the last 25 years reaching his current position: 3-star general who will most likely be promoted to 4-star and end up running Air Force Space Command or something similar. The trait that I've observed most in him since I met him ten years ago is his unshakeable belief in his ability to get the job done. He's probably the most quietly confident person I know.
- burningion 16y agoAgreed. Sometimes being borderline delusional about your ability to accomplish complex things is crucial to actually getting them done.
- spiffworks 16y agoAgreed. Self-doubt has gotten me nowhere.
- sown 16y agoWell...not everyone can grow up to be a 3 or 4 star general, either.
- ryanwaggoner 16y agoI think you're missing my point. He didn't "grow up to be" anything in a passive sense. He worked his ass off and earned it. And yes, not everyone can do what he did (as there's not room for n generals in a world of n people). But can anyone do what he did? How do you know that anyone can't be an astronaut or a 4-star general or a fortune 500 CEO or a Senator, or whatever? Or is this some bizarre form of pessimistic trolling?
- sown 16y agoNo, I'm just being realistic. Not everyone has what it takes to do just whatever they want. For me, dealing with people who think they can do anything (vs people who really do) is like dealing with religious people: it's a process of non-thought and faith almost. Your father-in-law is one of those rare people who can make it happen. If it was as simple as working hard at it or being determined then everyone would be doing it. This is why it's so hard to find good programmers. It's also a good way to lead people on to guaranteed failure, deluding them into thinking if they work hard enough or try hard enough they can accomplish something. Most of us are not physically capable of understanding certain things that others do understand, are able to work at, etc. I happen to be one of those people who can't understand.
- ryanwaggoner 16y agoIf it was as simple as working hard at it or being determined then everyone would be doing it. Ummm, no. Most people seem to be determined, but only to do as little as possible to get by. We clearly just disagree, but I reject your premise that most people are not physically capable of greatness. I don't know you but you're on HN and you express yourself well in writing, which already puts you ahead of 99% of people. The main thing holding you back is that you're determined to not succeed.