Not-Sketchblog: The Art of Being Positive, Augmented

Some of you may remember the post I made at the beginning of the year, stating my resolution to be more positive and the steps I would take toward achieving that goal.
I would like to not only say how successful those steps have been in improving my life, but I would also like to add another step: 

7. Make No Excuses
Many people I talk to about doing things they're afraid of doing or challenging themselves to move out of their comfort zone, respond with "BUT..."  One of my favorite lines from a movie comes from Pee Wee Herman: "Everybody's got a big but."  It's meant to be humorous, but it's true.  Everyone has at least one default excuse they rush to in order to avoid doing something they are afraid of doing, or something they're not comfortable with.
In the scene which that movie quote is taken from, Pee Wee is trying to encourage a friend to follow her dreams, and she replies that she can't because of someone else, or her job, etc. etc.  I can't tell you how self-defeating excuses can really be.  They're a crutch and that is all.
But they don't have to be.
Use your excuses to encourage yourself to try harder.  Tell yourself that you may not be good at something, but that's not going to stop you from trying.  Tell yourself that even though you've failed at something a million times before, it won't keep you from doing it again and succeeding.  Tell yourself that you are better than your excuses, and stronger than your comfort zones, and braver than your fears.
You are more than your crutches, and so you shouldn't let them rule how you live your life.
Find a way around, over, under, through your excuses, because your excuses don't care about your dreams, but you should.
Fulfill your goals, and leave your excuses in the dust.


Love you all always!
<3 p="p">Emily J Sampson