What inspired men like Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt to do and experience more in life than most of us would even dare to in our dreams? Why is it that so few do, while millions more dream, think, and wish?
Roosevelt. Hemingway. Napoleon. Pressfield. Schwarzennegar. The list could go on for hours.
This question has been gnawing at my mind all night.
But forget about their accomplishments and success. And think only of the actions.
Arnold did things that his friends weren’t even willing to try. He left Austria. He became Mr. Universe, then Mr. Olympia. Then, with broken English, became one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Then the governor of one of the biggest economies on the planet.
Arnold thought, then he acted. He did not think then wish. He did.
Hemingway wrote, he drank, he hunted, he fished, he boxed. His life rife with action, not wishes.
But we do stuff too. We take action. But we take action on small things, letting the big things stay in that realm where we will wish, but not dare to try. We THINK about writing a book, but we’re not authors, right? We’re not a Hemingway. But neither was he before he took action.
We think about traveling, but never set foot on the plane because of the multitude of excuses that we pile up in front of that plane ticket. We set goals that we know we can do, so there’s no real incentive of accomplishing them. Our DREAMS are even small! We push the big ones down, and focus on the one’s that may one day come true.
Who are we to say what can and can’t be?
Fact: We limit ourselves by worries and fear. We don’t set high enough goals. And we wish far more than we do.
As I think about that initial question, “What makes the great people in history great?” It’s action, and it’s a belief, no, an understanding that there isn’t a whole lot that is impossible. If you’re willing to do more work than anyone. If you’re willing to dedicate yourself more than anyone, you can pretty much do anything you want to do.
This moment, whenever you’re reading this, wherever you are, is the moment where you start living.
I’ve let worries and fear keep me from truly living, and my actions have been small and safe. No more, not this year.
Besides, I’ve written about it in the past, Action cures any fears.