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Admit it. Somewhere deep down inside of us is a primary longing to do something different. To achieve great success, at something.
It could be trying out something new; it could be a more significant set of goals we are so scared to reach for.
Or it could even be something known to us alone that we have wanted to try for a long time, but the fear of looking foolish keeps us hog-tied and locked away in our fear.
What we do instead is to try to be like everybody else, following the norms and never giving that weird and wonderful being on the inside a way out into the world.
Don’t let yourself be pushed around
Being afraid of looking foolish in the eyes of others is no way to live.
And the result is we become like everybody else.
We hide our insecurities behind the mask of who we think we’re supposed to be and start behaving like who everyone wants us to be.
In a real sense we become a conformist. And that’s no way to ever achieve great success.
Poll after poll has found out that most people’s number one fear is speaking in public.
Why? The fear of looking foolish. Most people would rather die than speak in public because they don’t want to look stupid in anyone eye.
Would you believe that death ranked number two?
If you think about it all, you’d realize that the fear of looking foolish is probably the one thing that stops us from achieving great success.
It’s time to stop making your greater self wait any longer.
Madeleine L’Engle said:
“We try to be reasonable about what we believe. What I believe is not reasonable at all. In fact, it’s hilariously impossible. Possible things aren’t worth much. The crazy Impossible thing keep us going.”
If you want to achieve great success in life, you have to be willing to look foolish in the eyes of the world and trust your gut that you’re up to something good. Something they just can’t see.
Some bios of those who achieved great success
Look at the biography’s of successful people and you’ll find they were willing to be embarrassed and look foolish.
Think about Bill Gates who dropped out of Harvard to found Microsoft with a childhood friend.
For Bill, it was a moment of pressure, with so many questions he couldn’t answer and he was supposed he end up as a failure.
You and I might have seen him as one of the most foolish people on this planet. But he wasn’t in the least embarrassed by that.
And what about Tony Robbins who makes people walk on the coal of fire to help them overcome fear?
It’s easy to read a line like this in the confines of your home or office and completely miss the act of courage displayed by Tony.
Chances are most of us would say, it is one of the craziest things I have ever heard.
Suppose someone got their leg burnt, He would have landed himself a lawsuit or end up being ridiculed by his followers. That would have gone bad for him.
But that’s the price he was willing to pay to dare to try something big and he didn’t care what people thought. He was willing to do things that others thought were foolish and we all know how that ended up for him.
Bill Gates was later referred to as Harvard’s most successful dropout and was the richest man in the world for decades and even today, Bill is the second richest man in the world.
The walking on fire experience got Tony Robbins so famous Oprah Winfrey tried it out and said it was one of the most transformational moments in her life.
Here’s the catch
If you aren’t willing to look foolish, you are foolish.
The reason why most people never achieve great success in life is that they aren’t willing to look foolish.
The catchphrase: “Call Me Crazy” should be more than a slogan, people should have it hang at the door of their house and even inside the car.
Think Bill Gates Harvard’s most successful dropout. His craziness quotient was off the charts.
The greatest breakthrough, miracles, and turning point in any successful person’s life can be traced back to a time they were willing to do something that looks or sound foolish.
That goes for me and you too
Don’t ever keep silent or give up on something just because someone might think you’re foolish.
The fact that it happens to almost every successful person means there’s no reason it can’t happen for you.
Just don’t quit on your goals… instead, embrace foolishness and keep your eyes open for the light at the end of the tunnel.
People won’t remember you for how rich you become, or the luxury house you lived, these things will fade at your departure before you know it.
And that’s not really the point. What people will remember is the Impact you made and the legacy you left.
So keep working at it and don’t give up, you’re always one step away from success.
If you’re truly willing to put yourself out there, look foolish in the eyes of others and risk embarrassment, you’ve got a great chance of achieving that dream of yours.
Cephas Tope
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