Most of us learn about someone after they’ve become famous and successful. And we often feel that what they have achieved is out of reach for us. They are too accomplished. They are too far ahead of us. We say to ourselves that we could never achieve what they have. This thinking is not helpful to us or the people in our lives.
There are Eight Commitments of The Law of the Garbage Truck. Here’s The Second Commitment: Don’t Dump on Yourself.
When we get caught up in the headlines of other people’s success, and not the backstory of their achievements, it is easy for us to dump on ourselves. We see goals reached, but not paths taken. We see celebration, not hard work and determination.
When we draw negative conclusions about our future without proper research, planning, and effort, we put unnecessary obstacles in our way. Life is challenging enough without putting ungrounded limitations on ourselves.
Thankfully, we can get beyond the headlines of success. We can read people’s actual stories. We can read their biographies and autobiographies. We can learn how to increase our success and fulfill our mission by studying someone else’s journey.
I recently read The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by Clayborne Carson. It’s a wonderful book about an incredible man. While I was amazed by everything he had accomplished, his story reminded me that his journey did not begin on the mountaintop. It started in his father’s church. It started in his neighborhood. It continued in college.It continued in graduate school. It continued when he chose his first church to pastor. His leadership in the civil rights movement began one event at a time.
We may not be destined to change the world as profoundly as Martin Luther King, but we can learn to apply the lessons of his life to ours. It can help us achieve great things.
So, what are you reading?
Write to me and tell me which biography or autobiography has inspired you. I want to put your recommendation on my reading list.
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