Encouragement From An Unlikely Source

The following is from someone you wouldn't expect to give inspiration and encouragement on going for it. The unlikely source is from none other than William Shakespeare. Yes,the William Shakespeare from Macbeth,Romeo and Juliet and so many other plays and sonnets fame. I think the last time I read anything by him was in high school. I may be revealing my lack of erudition but I never understood what all the fuss about him was,perhaps I was still too immature to appreciate his genius. I will say this though, he really nails it on this quote from Measure for Measure: "Our doubts are traitors

And make us lose the good we oft might win,

By fearing to attempt."

Ever notice that as we get older, we get less bolder,less willing to dream and think big? When we consider some thing we want to do or accomplish, almost immediately negative thoughts and doubts pop up that say things like: "are you nuts, have you forgotten how old you are?" Or this one, "like your wife(girlfriend,boyfriend,significant other,etc) would ever put up with that if you....," Another common thought, "What have you been smokin', thinking you even have what it takes?" I recall a friend who told me that he wanted to do the Ironman Triathlon,almost immediately after saying that he began telling me how it would be almost impossible for him to even qualify. I suggested he take a look at last year's entrants,their ages and finishing times and then tell me if he still believed it was impossible. I also asked him if he really wanted to do what he said he did? A year or so later he called and told me he had just completed a Tinman and was confident that he would make it to Hawaii in the not too distant future.You've read it here before,the key to personal success is perseverance. Obviously, if you are of limited talent,toeing the line at the U.S.Olympic Marathon Trials is unlikely,but, you can achieve much more than you think you can if you commit yourself and reject those doubts.Someday, I never want to hear myself say, "I just wish I would have given it a shot." What an empty,crappy feeling to have to live with.