Our lives are riddled with the broken promises we make to ourselves. We lie to ourselves about what we want, diminishing what we aim for so as to protect ourselves from the pain of possible failure.

We make up stories about our lives, ones filled with excuses about why we are how we are, where we are, and what we’ve done. We make ourselves out to be victims rather than doing the long, painful work that any form of real change demands.

We think high achievement is a gift given to some, or at least that’s what we tell ourselves, though, deep down we know it’s simply effort over a long period of time, effort we’re unwilling to put in.

We create prisons of mediocrity and self-pity. We blame others or something else, where we were born, the lack of breaks we were given, our lack of perceived talent, rather than taking responsibility for everything we do have control over.

We’re tricked into thinking that success is easy, quick, and simple for some. and when it inevitably proves difficult for us, we think we’re different, less, not worthy of what we want.

It’s all a lie. We can get what we want, but like everything good in life, it takes time and effort, but also belief. To get something we have to imagine it, along with the path that it requires us to make. That’s the way out of these self-imposed prisons…

It’s not intention that’ll break you free, but action. It isn’t what you dream or wish, but what you do, and what you do every single day that brings freedom.