Jack Canfield, famous author of the Chicken Soup For The Soul books, and practitioner and teacher of the Law of Attraction, used a two-word phrase in one of his presentations that I enjoyed. The two words were So What!

In his presentation, he was describing how many people let their personal history prevent them from taking some of the necessary steps toward living their dreams. The people he was describing (and I admit that I, too, have been one of them) often stated that they were “too old,” or “too poor,” or “not educated enough” or “from the wrong side of the tracks,” or “not smart enough” or “not talented enough” to actually pursue their desires. The not this and not that and not something else is a common mindset, and on a certain level it makes perfect sense. It seems logical. The statements may even seem true. They will likely be reinforced, too, by well-meaning family and friends. Those type of statements, Jack said, basically fall under the “So What!” category.

Everyone, he stated, may share some or part of that type of personal history. The difference between those who succeed (and I would place anyone who at least attempts his/her dream into that category) and those who never attempt their heart’s desire is that those who succeed refuse to let themselves–or their future– be defined or limited by where they were born, their degree of formal education, the amount of money they possess, or any other reason. These type of people realize that a focus on the negative–on the reasons why they CAN’T possibly achieve a goal–will never lead them to the fulfillment of their goals! What do they do instead? They choose to focus–powerfully–on the reasons why they CAN achieve what they desire.

To be fair, successful people also realize other truths: They know the importance of educating themselves, either formally or informally. Libraries offer a great deal of information; so does the internet, and these type of people wisely make use of both. They also know the importance of having a mentor who has already achieved some degree of success in their particular field of interest. You don’t have to know the mentor personally; just watching or listening to how your mentor progressed is enough to help.

Although the short phrase–So What–might seem harsh, I’m writing about it here with a positive intention. Perhaps it will stir us to examine the lives of many successful people around us. We are mistaken if we assume that they were born with some great advantage in life. No doubt some of them may have been born into environments that proved beneficial to their rise to fame, fortune, or prominence in a particular field. Many, however, have lifted themselves by sheer WILL and ATTITUDE and PERSEVERENCE. Hats off to them, for through their example we, too, may be inspired. As someone once said, “we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”