Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.
Dr. Robert Anthony
MEANING OF THIS QUOTE
Life is pretty creative in that it often finds ways to throw our plans in disarray. Things may even get to a point where we have to abort the disrupted plans or, worse, our goals altogether. However, dwelling upon missed opportunities or the past only makes things more difficult going forward. Letting circumstances beyond our control scar our confidence can do no good to the bigger things that await us in the future. After all, for the thousand reasons why something didn’t work, all you need is one good reason why it will.
SHOULDN’T THE PAST BE A LESSON FOR THE FUTURE?
Yes and no. The past is a powerful reminder of the importance of replicating the things that clicked and improving upon the ones that didn’t. When used properly, the past can be an effective tool for course correction. However, people who draw all the wrong lessons from the past are doomed to keep failing. For instance, some people tend to keep turning back to the past to harp about what could have been. They are often guilty of drawing all the wrong lessons from it. In other words, instead of looking at the past as a teacher, they view it as a reason why certain goals are never meant to be pursued. They become so fixated on the reasons why things didn’t work out that they fail to see the bigger picture.
CONCLUSION
Confidence and a positive outlook can go a long way in keeping ourselves motivated in the long run. It is our positivity that keeps us from viewing missed chances as a waste of a time, instead instilling in us a habit to learn something from every experience, whether good or bad. This open-mindedness is what keeps us going and eventually helps turn the dreams of today into the reality of tomorrow.
Dr. Robert Anthony is a psychotherapist and personal performance trainer. Known for his science-backed motivational, self-help books, one of his best success quotes goes as follows: “Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.”