Somebody started the business.
Somebody earned the degree.
Somebody bought the home.
Somebody traveled the world.
Somebody began with very little and built something.
So before you say:
I CAN’T…
Ask a better question:
HOW DID THEY DO IT?
This principle applies to a great many areas of life.
WHAT ONE PERSON CAN DO…
ANOTHER PERSON CAN OFTEN LEARN FROM.
Now whether you WANT to do it…
Whether you SHOULD do it…
Whether it fits your life…
Those are different questions.
But do not confuse:
I HAVE NOT DONE IT YET
with:
IT CANNOT BE DONE.
Those are completely different statements.
REACH FARTHER THAN YOU THINK
A person’s reach can extend considerably beyond what they presently imagine.
Education.
Business.
Travel.
Home ownership.
Career.
Relationships.
Fitness.
Creative work.
Service.
You may not presently know HOW.
Fine.
That is where the work begins.
The first obstacle is often not the task.
It is the conclusion:
THAT IS NOT FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME.
Be careful with that sentence.
NO EXCUSES… BUT THEY WILL COME
The moment you decide to move toward something difficult, excuses begin arriving.
Too old.
Too young.
Too late.
Too expensive.
Wrong economy.
Wrong background.
Wrong education.
Nobody will support me.
I tried once.
Fine.
Listen to them.
Examine them.
Some may contain legitimate information.
But do not automatically OBEY them.
There is a difference between an obstacle and a verdict.
FIND THE WANT-TO
Somewhere inside the person has to be:
WANT TO.
Nobody can permanently install that for you.
People can encourage you.
Teach you.
Finance you.
Advise you.
Introduce you.
But eventually, you have to bring something from inside yourself.
Desire.
Commitment.
Persistence.
Curiosity.
Call it whatever you like.
Something has to keep moving after enthusiasm wears off.
LOOK AROUND
One of the easiest ways to expand your thinking is to study what other people have already done.
Every business you pass started somehow.
Every large operation once had an earlier version.
Every professional was once inexperienced.
Every expert had a first day.
That matters.
Success has history.
Study the history.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
People love seeing the finished product.
The store.
The brand.
The company.
The successful professional.
What they often miss is the beginning.
Small room.
Borrowed equipment.
First customer.
First rejection.
First mistake.
First sale.
First terrible day.
First breakthrough.
That is where the useful lesson lives.
COLONEL SANDERS
Consider the story associated with Colonel Harland Sanders.
Long before Kentucky Fried Chicken became a global brand, he spent years developing and promoting his chicken recipe and restaurant concept.
The polished brand came later.
First came persistence.
Selling.
Demonstrating.
Convincing.
Trying again.
That is the part worth noticing.
The giant sign you see today once existed only as somebody’s idea and effort.
MANY PEOPLE SAID NO
This is another piece we forget.
Successful ventures usually encounter:
NO.
Not interested.
Too expensive.
Won’t work.
Bad timing.
Come back later.
Not for us.
Rejected.
Fine.
A NO is information.
Sometimes it means:
CHANGE SOMETHING.
Sometimes:
WRONG CUSTOMER.
Sometimes:
BAD IDEA.
And sometimes it simply means:
KEEP GOING.
The art is learning which one you are hearing.
MRS. FIELDS AND THE PRODUCT PEOPLE WANTED
Debbi Fields built a cookie business around a simple product people enjoyed.
Cookies.
Nothing mysterious.
But think about what success required beyond the recipe.
Consistency.
Location.
Presentation.
Customer experience.
Expansion.
Business systems.
The cookie may open the door.
The operation keeps it open.
That is another lesson:
A GOOD IDEA STILL NEEDS EXECUTION.
LOOK PAST THE PRODUCT
People see:
CHICKEN.
COOKIES.
REAL ESTATE.
BOOKS.
SOFTWARE.
Whatever.
But underneath successful businesses you usually find common disciplines:
Persistence.
Adaptability.
Service.
Sales.
Consistency.
Learning.
Risk.
Recovery from failure.
Follow-through.
Those qualities transfer from one field to another.
WHAT AM I DRIVING AT?
Very simply:
STOP TREATING SUCCESS LIKE MAGIC.
Somebody did the work.
Somebody learned the process.
Somebody made mistakes.
Somebody stayed with it.
Somebody found help.
Somebody adjusted.
Somebody finished.
That makes success more understandable.
ANTI-SUCCESS VOICES
There are forces that oppose movement.
Some come from other people.
“That won’t work.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Why bother?”
“Be realistic.”
And some of the loudest voices come from inside.
You remember past failures.
Embarrassment.
Rejection.
You imagine the worst.
Now fear has a committee meeting.
Fine.
Let them meet.
You do not have to give them voting rights.
OBSTACLES DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN STOP
I would refine something from the original Pearl.
Obstacles are not always proof that you are “close to success.”
Sometimes an obstacle is telling you:
CHANGE DIRECTION.
But obstacles ARE proof that you have reached reality.
Now you have something useful.
A real problem.
A real resistance point.
A real opportunity to adapt.
Ask:
What is this teaching me?
CLOSE THE GAP
Suppose someone has achieved something similar to what you want.
Do not merely admire them.
Study the gap.
What do they know that you do not?
What skills do they have?
What did they practice?
Who helped them?
What resources did they use?
How long did it take?
What did they sacrifice?
Now success begins becoming less mysterious.
PUT LEGS ON YOUR THINKING
Thinking matters.
Planning matters.
Dreaming matters.
But eventually:
MOVE.
Call.
Apply.
Enroll.
Save.
Train.
Write.
Build.
Ask.
Visit.
Start.
A goal without action remains imagination.
PUT LEGS ON IT.
READY… STEADY… GO
You want an education?
Find the route.
You want to buy a home?
Learn the numbers.
You want a business?
Study the market.
You want to travel?
Build the plan.
You want a better career?
Acquire the skills.
You want a relationship?
Become someone capable of participating in one well.
Ready.
Steady.
GO.
Then keep adjusting.
DO NOT DEMAND THE SAME JOURNEY
Here is another important distinction.
Someone else’s success does not mean your path will look identical.
Different timing.
Different talents.
Different circumstances.
Different opportunities.
You may need another route.
That is fine.
The principle is not:
COPY THEM EXACTLY.
The principle is:
THEIR RESULT PROVES THAT HUMAN BEINGS CAN BUILD THINGS THAT ONCE DID NOT EXIST.
That should expand you.
SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES
Watch.
Listen.
Read biographies.
Ask questions.
Study people who actually produced results.
Not merely people who TALK about results.
What habits repeat?
What mistakes repeat?
What attitudes repeat?
Patterns begin appearing.
Then adapt what fits.
YES, YOU CAN… BUT WORK COMES WITH IT
I like saying:
YES, YOU CAN.
But that sentence should not become empty encouragement.
Yes, you can…
LEARN.
TRY.
PREPARE.
ADAPT.
IMPROVE.
PERSIST.
Maybe you will reach the exact target.
Maybe the journey will lead somewhere different.
But you will be considerably farther along than the person who never moved because they concluded:
I CAN’T.
FINAL THOUGHT
When you see someone doing something worthwhile…
Do not automatically say:
GOOD FOR THEM.
Say:
WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THAT?
Their success does not diminish your possibility.
It may enlarge it.
The business exists.
The degree was earned.
The book was written.
The home was bought.
The journey was made.
So perhaps your first question should not be:
CAN IT BE DONE?
Somebody already answered that.
Now ask:
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR ME TO DO MY VERSION OF IT?
PEARLS INSIGHT
Observing successful people can expand perceived possibility and provide practical information about skills, habits, systems, and persistence. Success is not automatically transferable from one person to another because circumstances differ, but proven examples can demonstrate that a path exists and help identify the resources, behaviors, and adjustments required to pursue a similar objective.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
A recurring principle throughout Pearls for the Soul is:
PUT LEGS ON IT.
Possibility begins in thought.
Progress begins in movement.
Results come from continuing long enough to learn what works.
Do not worship somebody else’s result.
STUDY THE JOURNEY.
Then build your own.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This Pearl connects directly with:
WITHOUT A FINISH… YOUR START IS WORTHLESS
RESULTS IS A GOOD WAY TO KEEP SCORE
and
USE PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES AND SURPRISES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Start.
Learn.
Adjust.
Finish.
Then measure.
That is a much more useful formula than:
I CAN’T.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Somebody did it?
GOOD.
Now you know it is possible for a human being.
Don’t stand there admiring them forever.
ASK QUESTIONS.
Study.
Learn.
Adapt.
Then MOVE.
You may not build their business.
Live their life.
Or take their road.
You are supposed to build YOURS.
So when somebody says:
IT CAN’T BE DONE…
Look around.
Somebody is probably already doing it.
FINAL SAY
Other people’s success is not there to make you feel small.
Use it as evidence.
Use it as instruction.
Use it as permission to think larger.
Then stop watching from the sidelines.
READY.
STEADY.
GO.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
pearlsforthesoul.com
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