What’s your default mode?  How do you tend to respond to the opportunities, challenges and chances that come along in life?

For most of us, it’s automatic: I can’t, I couldn’t, I shouldn’t, I wouldn’t.  I’m not fit enough, strong enough, tall enough.  I’m not good looking enough.  I can’t afford it.  What would my friends and family say?  What would my boss say?  It’s too risky, I’d better not.

With all of these limitations, it’s easy to see why don’t take more chances.  It’s easy to see why we’re not living our dreams.  When we were kids, we dreamed the impossible.  We could do anything.  …Then we learned better.  “Be realistic” they told us, “be sensible”.  Play it safe is the message.

But what if these stories we tell ourselves aren’t true?  What if our limitations are just something we were taught?  Something we repeat so much that it becomes our truth?  What if we just didn’t know any better?

Cliff Young didn’t know any better.  In 1983 he was a 61-year-old farmer.  And he did the impossible.

Image: www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

The Sydney to Melbourne race was an 875k Ultra Marathon.  It was regarded as one of the toughest of it’s kind in the world.  The real deal.  The world-class athletes knew it took around 7 gruelling days to complete – 18 hours of daily running with just 6 hours of sleep each night.

Cliff wasn’t an athlete.  He was a potato farmer.  The story goes that the 61-year-old turned up on race day wearing overalls and rubber boots.  No one believed he was going to participate!

Cliff’s pace was slow, his running style unusual at best.  As expected, he quickly fell behind the athletes.  But at the end of the first day, when the athletes settled down for some much-needed sleep, Cliff kept on running!  Apparently no one had told him any better!

So while the pros were sleeping, in true tortoise and hare fashion, Cliff caught up and took the lead.  Remarkably, not only did this complete unknown manage to finish the race, but by not sleeping, Cliff maintained his lead to win – smashing the record by almost 2 days!

The point isn’t that we should all throw on our wellie boots and start running. The point is that too often we’ve learned to reject things as unrealistic before we’ve allowed ourselves the chance to dream.  Who’s to say what’s possible?

Most of the superstars on this planet aren’t born that way.  They’re not necessarily more gifted the rest of us.  Typically, they’ve just been dreamers who’ve committed themselves to the small daily practices that produce a remarkable life over time.  Like Cliff, success tends to come from taking one consistent little step repeatedly – again and again and again.  Without giving up.

I dare you to dream!

BIG IDEA: Many of our assumed limitations are merely beliefs we’ve been taught by others.  And things ‘that have never been done before’ happen all the time.

TAKEAWAY: You’re capable of more than you think you are.

ACTION STEP: The next time you find yourself reciting your story and repeating your excuses, try replacing “I can’t…” with “how can I…?”

Always Keep Reaching!

Mike