Being successful means something different to everyone. At the same time, let’s agree that we all would like to be successful. If you are an entrepreneur, you want to build a successful company. If you’re an investor, you want to maximize the returns of your portfolio. If you’re a musician, you want to write music which people would love to listen to. If you’re a painter, you would like to paint masterpieces. If you’re a teacher or trainer, you would like your pupils to love the way you teach/train and show great results. If you’re a sportsman, you want to win the most prestigious competition…

This list can be continued for every profession, type of activity, role in society. But, for some reasons, some people become highly successful in what they do and others don’t. Let’s agree, that being successful is one of the common human needs in the Maslow pyramid, just as catching a fly is a need of every frog. The reasons why people become successful are pretty obvious and are mostly related to:

• being ambitious enough to even set high goals;
• having the guts to take a risky and uneasy path of going through difficulties to reach those goals;
• being disciplined enough, ready to sacrifice a lot, and ready to work your a$$ off in order to reach your goals;
• having a bit of luck to be at the right place at the right time etc.

On the other hand, to understand why people do not become successful or are simply afraid to live the life they want, you need to dig deeper. And in order to do that in a fun way, imagine a couple of frogs sitting in their pond and seeing a fly. Now, imagine what they’re thinking:

• It is so hard to move my a$$ to make the first step and catch that fly.
• There is only one fly but so many of us, frogs.
• There are already so many strong frogs out there (on the market), that it will be hard to compete with them and I will not catch that fly anyhow.
• What will the others think when they will see me catching flies?
• What if I try to catch the fly and I will fail? Then other frogs will judge me and laugh at my failure.
• I didn’t get a proper degree of how to catch flies, I will not succeed.
• I am depressed and I don’t have enough life energy to start catching flies.
• Am I already allowed, good, or experienced enough to start catching flies on my own?
• My self-esteem is too low to catch flies.
• I don’t have enough money, skills, strength, height to catch flies.
• I had a very hard childhood, my parents didn’t care about me enough, that’s why I cannot catch flies now.
• I already tried to catch a fly once and didn’t succeed.
• Maybe, catching flies is something not for me?
• Probably, I am not destined to be catching flies successfully.
• I don’t know what I want to achieve long-term by catching flies.
• I want to catch that fly so much, but I don’t know where to start.
• It doesn’t matter if I will catch that fly or not, it will be my fault anyhow.
• My mother/brother/spouse will judge me if I will start catching flies.
• I am already 35 — it’s too late to start catching flies.
• Everyone is telling me that catching flies is not a good idea.
• It’s a global pandemic and an economic downturn — now is not a good timing to start catching flies.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Now, which of these reasons really prevent any of these frogs to catch that fly? Which of these reasons prevent YOU (yes, I mean you, the one who is reading this article right now!) from finishing that course, starting this training, attending that class, talking to that young lady/man, apply for that job, starting your own business, improving relations with your parents, asking for forgiveness of a friend you’d hurt, expressing gratitude to a person who had helped you in the past, travel to that beautiful country, writing that book, living the life you want, in the end?!

The answer is — NONE! All of them are solely in your head. Remember, that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step! And then keep moving forward! In the end, what is the worst thing which can happen, if you don’t succeed? Time is flying and only those stupid reasons in your head are preventing you from living the life you want!

So, don’t be one of those frogs and go get those delicious flies! Whatever they represent to you! ;)