We do it every day. We make excuses. We have self-doubt. We lie. We sin. We crash and burn. Every dream and aspiration we have to become the better version of ourselves is constantly dismantled by the fact that we can't accept the hard, cold truth. As humans, we are perfect at picking from a wide range of excuses to limit our talents and capabilities. Whether it be studying for a test, working out at the gym, or spending time in God's word, we all make excuses to rationalize our actions regarding our circumstances. This past semester I've had to learn from my mistakes and stop procrastinating in order to set up on a path towards success. If you're struggling to find motivation to check off the to-do list or have simply lost ambition in every life aspect, take a step forward and start letting yourself go.

The first step is never easy. In order to recognize our failures and misconceptions, we must first understand that making excuses leads to no final result. It is common for people to makes excuses based on fear, comparison, uncertainty, and protection. Fear, on the one hand, keeps us inside our comfort zones and prevents us from exploring the great unknown. Those who live in fear of uncertainty never see results because of the constant feeling of being afraid.

Failure is unavoidable, yet it is the greatest learning tool we have when taking new risks and trying something new. Those who compare themselves to others will never find true happiness, for God has made us all unique in our own way. Why is this important, you might ask? Every second we spend making excuses is wasted time. We are all capable of getting the results we want, but we have to put effort into achieving those desires.

Aside from the fact that excuses prevent us from reaching our full potential, we must also not hold ourselves back when setting out on new adventures. Those who choose to hold back feelings or doubt often find themselves struggling with regret. If you attempt something instead of making up an excuse to avoid it, there is a bigger chance you will be glad you tried. We must push ourselves to go out and try new things in order to seek challenge and growth. Part of taking action is in taking risks so that we learn more about ourselves and the goals we want for our future.

Allowing ourselves to stop making excuses and start letting go has so many benefits. Successful people know that taking action is the only way to get things done, therefore being lazy is no excuse. Life is hard, in fact, it's quite difficult. But if life were easy, what would be worth living for? I accept the challenge of letting go of lies and deception in order to be the leader I strive to be. Having the courage to go out and try new things gives me hope that I can achieve tasks and goals. We all have the power to achieve greatness but making excuses will lead to no result.

Live life to the fullest.

Love, Ash