Now, become even more childlike. Imagine you are a superhero, and you can use your powers to help three people. Who will you help and how?
This exercise may feel a little ridiculous to you, but it has a purpose. You are stretching your mind to visualize the impossible. That is a key ingredient to success. Have fun!
DAY
22
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
— T.S. Elliot
Are you willing to take risks in order to achieve success? That’s not such an easy question. This book is about achieving success one day at a time. The idea is that you can take small steps and reap great rewards. It sounds safe, not risky. But you also have to be willing to go out on a limb at some point. You have to step a little too far into the wilderness in order to find out what you might be missing. Are you willing to do that?
What would happen if you took a risk and failed? Would it be so terrible? Many of us are terrified of failure, but maybe it’s not so bad. Think about failure for a moment. If you try something new and fail, what will you do? You will pick yourself up and try something else. That’s not really the doomsday we make it out to be.
You cannot find success without also experiencing failure. They are twins attached at the hip. Almost every great person in history experienced an equal measure of failure before finding success. You have to be willing to get a little egg on your face if you want the big prize.
If you are afraid of risk, imagine that superhero you were yesterday. That person wouldn’t be afraid. Pretend you are fearless today. Walk up to the person you have admired from afar and ask him or her on a date. Talk to your boss about the raise you deserve. Reach out to the person you fought with months ago and swore you would never speak to again. Conquer your fear by experiencing it and moving through it. You don’t know what incredible things you will find in that wilderness.