Do You Know the Worst Excuse That Sabotages Your Dream?
January 30th, 2012
Have you ever considered how many things you do and believe in your life “because everyone else does”? You’ve probably heard this excuse often if you have teenagers who have engaged in undesirable actions. For instance, we didn’t know until later that when our teenage son passed is driving test, he picked up his best friend, and they drove in a horrible rainstorm to the mall. “Why would you do that,” I asked. “Because everyone else does it, mom,” he replied.
Do we as adults use this statement to excuse, motivate, or justify our actions, too?
I grew up a very liberal thinker in Holland, where rules could be bent until both parties were satisfied. There, everything was up for discussion and nothing seemed set in stone. Realizing that rules are rules in America was quite a culture shock!
So that you have the right perspective, I ran a red traffic light on my bicycle while a teenager in Holland. A policeman pulled me over and was patient while trying to understand my actions. I avoided a ticket on that occasion, but that would probably never have happened in America.
The policeman first asked me if I knew I had run the red light, to which I replied, “I didn’t know you were watching me. Everybody does it!” He agreed with me and said it was back luck he’d seen me and that I didn’t deserve to be ticketed. In Holland, bikers are sacred. At the time, I imagined he was thinking, “If everyone else does it, why not her?”
Fast-forward years later, I learned after moving to America that certain rules are definitely not negotiable. People here don’t argue with law enforcement officers about their unique perspectives after breaking a law… well, except if you happen to be Dutch and don’t have a clue about what everyone else does!
Shortly after we’d arrived in this country, we were driving our children to school one morning. On the way, we passed a half-dozen stop signs. We we happily chatting and oblivious of the police car following us. We slowed down when we reached a stop sign and then crossed the road, never stopping.
Once we’d arrived at the school, the policeman surprised me by furiously knocking on my car window. “You ignored five stop signs! How dare you?” he yelled. I thought for a minute that he might arrest me and throw me in jail. Thank goodness I didn’t say the same thing to him that I said to the Dutch officer all those years ago. However, maybe what I said was worse: “I thought stop signs were optional.” I honestly believed that, but you can imagine the policeman’s face.
I had learned my lesson. Stopping at all stop signs is not optional or negotiable in America. So what is the point of this story? I didn’t stop to think about my behavior. Commonsense tells me that human lives are in danger when we don’t obey traffic lights. In this case, it’s a win-win situation. While driving, ignoring signs is not optional.
When following your Soul’s path, it’s a win-win to keep going on the road to your dreams! Stopping is NOT optional when you follow the voice of your Soul, because you become unstoppable.
There will always be people who yell at you and tell you to stop because they don’t share your perspective or dream, and because it doesn’t make sense to them. In this case, you should never stop and subordinate to the rules and voices outside of yourself just because everyone else does.
We all have our own unique path, and that’s very different from what everybody else does Do you get the point? What is your Soul telling you?
Saskia Roell is a Soul Guidance Coach, radio host, bestselling author, and co-author with Jack Canfield, Stephen Covey and Deepak Chopra. An international speaker, clairvoyant healer and mother of five, she empowers you to move out of your comfort zone, break through your fears, and go after your heart’s desires. Download her complimentary “21-Day Roadmap to Your Dreams” program.
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