Excusitis - The reason a lot of people FAIL!
Overcoming Excusitis: Don't let health, intelligence, age, or luck be excuses for not achieving success—change your mindset and take action.
Hey, my fans, you didn't hear from me last week.
Yes, e get as e be na why, But I'm back bigger and better.
And, to make up for this, I will give you 2 different episodes this week! - So, expect the second one in a bit.
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Some days back I got to know about the word "EXCUSITIS".
I was very surprised as to how powerful this can be in the course of making someone an achiever/success or a failure.
I got this from a book I am reading at the moment titled "The Magic of Thinking Big".
If you haven't read it, I'd advise you to get it and read it. If you have read this book, you will be familiar with the ideas that I am sharing with you, but from my perspective.
Now, you might be thinking, what is "EXCUSITIS"?
The author - D.J. Schwartz mentioned, "that this is a mind-deadening disease that is found in people who have failed, in short terms, FAILURES."
This disease varies in different stages. It is chronic in failures and mild in average people.
It only buttresses the idea that people who are successful either found a way to cure this disease or were already immune from the disease.
Let me tell you that this disease EXCUSITIS is also what you might know as EXCUSES.
A lot of people are excuse tellers, and they make excuses as easily as their eyes blinking.
They don't need to think about it, it just comes easily to them.
Giving excuses gives them joy, comfort and purpose. And that is why they can't attribute much success to their names.
Now, it's not as if people who are successful or on the path of being successful, don't have the means to make these excuses but they choose not to because they can decide and give what it takes to get what they want.
Funny enough, people who have this chronic disease (Excusitis) always have other focus where this disease doesn't affect them.
For example, someone who finds it difficult to lose weight will find it very appealing to eat junk that keeps making them fat and obese.
That is to say, everyone has the ability not to give excuses.
So, why is it that some people find it easy to give in to excuses, while a lot of people also find it easy to do away with the same excuse - The matter long gaan!
The symptoms of this disease appear in people by the kind of excuses they make themselves believe to be true. I mean they usually prophesize or manifest their excuses into their reality.
It starts with a mere lie, then migrates into becoming what they want people to know is the cause of their problems then it becomes their reality.
Another example here is that you often hear them say "I am busy that is why I cannot do this", "I am from a poor background, that is why things are like this", or "I have a chronic health issue that is why I can't do this". You get the idea, right? - Excuses! Excuses!! Excuses!!!
One thing I want you to know as you read this today is that "Your thoughts- positive or negative, grow stronger in whatever it thinks about often." The power of your thoughts cannot be over-emphasized, if you think about success and goodness for yourself, nature aligns according to that, and vice versa.
In the book, Schwartz identified 4 types of EXCUSITIS.
I took a lot of stray bullets while reading this 🫣, cuz, I found out that I also had this disease - I no be saint too my fans😏. I am on the path of healing, and you can heal with me too.
So, what are the types of Excusitis or excuses?
Health
Intelligence
Age
Luck
I go try explain am well well and short.
Health Excusitis - This is a situation where someone has a genuine illness or perceives to have an illness and uses this as an excuse to not work, live or achieve anything.
Now, sometimes life happens and then you are down with a particular illness. In the true sense, no one wants to be limited by an illness. But, when you find yourself in this kind of situation, the way you perceive this determines how your life afterwards will be in the next years.
I will use myself as an example in this scenario.
So, I used to be so overburdened by the fact that I am asthmatic - Yes, I get asthma.
But I've had different lifestyles after the first incidence that I had as an asthmatic patient.
There was this time when, everyone around me always knew that this person was asthmatic, because, before any small thing sup like this, you go don hear "I'm an asthmatic Patient".
I used this as a major excuse to avoid responsibilities. I mean I was literarily not doing anything cuz of this fact.
It became my reality. If I attempt to do anything, I go down immediately from an attack. I always walked around with my inhaler then, and it was like I was proud of the fact that I had this illness. Then, I think it felt like I was in a status where nothing must and can happen to me because I was Asthmatic.
You see, this was a point where nothing I did worked.
It didn't work simply because I had a self-limiting factor on myself which was the belief that as an asthmatic patient, if I stretch myself too much doing something, I will get an attack. And yes, If I do, I will get an attack. I couldn't even run for 30 seconds; I wouldn't be able to catch my breath. It was that worse. I no fit run to save my life then 🫣.
Now what changed?
What changed is simply the thoughts I have about it now.
Then, I held myself at ransom and gave simple reasons as to why I wasn't able to do something because I was asthmatic.
Now, most people around do not even know I have this, and I don't know when last I had an attack. I'm serious, I can't remember the last time.
I now moved from someone who struggles to jog for 30 seconds to someone jugs who rounds a football field 10 times at a go - Make I brag small 😜.
And the change happened even before I began to read this book.
So, reading this book gave me more insights as to what had helped me overcome that idea.
Schwartz quoted another author saying "3 out of every 4 hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from EII - Emotionally Induced Illness.
This just drives home the idea, that the thoughts you have about yourself always become your reality.
If you think a particular sickness is the limiting factor that you aren't able to achieve things, then it will not allow you to.
So, it's usually not about the illness that you have, it's about the thoughts you have about it.
That's the same thing that justifies, abled-bodied men walking around begging for a living while you see some disabled doing jobs to feed themselves, they can easily beg for a living, but they choose not to.
So, how did you overcome this? - I know you might want to ask. and I will use the solutions that Schwartz gave to give you a solution.
First, refuse to talk about your health.
If you are in this category, always try to not talk about your health. I mean don't even say anything about it.
When you talk about it, you are one way or the other looking to get people to pity you. You become weaker and it sets to become your reality.
Don't talk about your health with people and in your head.
If others pity you and you also pity yourself, then you are destined for failure.
This was something I did. I didn't talk about my sickness with anyone even within my head.
So, do the same, if you find yourself with this Disease - Health Excusitis.
Second, refuse to worry about your health.
Yes, I did this.
My not worrying about my health doesn't mean I don't do the bare minimum to be safe and healthy.
I always make sure my surroundings are clean as much as possible.
I try to avoid dust and getting cold as much as I can and so on.
Just to make sure that I don't have any excuse for not working to get results.
The more you worry about your health, the more reasons you have not to work and get results for yourself.
Third, be grateful that your health is as good as it is.
No matter how terrible your illness might be, some people's illnesses are more terrible than yours.
Once you accept that yours isn't the worst there is, then you have a bit of life to be able to work things out for yourself.
Fourth, it is better you wear out than rust out. Let me explain.
What happens when something wears? and, what happens when something rusts?
As a person, it is better you wear out than you rust out.
Wearing out means, you are active, doing something. You are living to your potential. You are genuinely living to have a better life, and in this process, you are ageing and feeling fulfilled.
Rusting out means, you are allowing something to limit what you can achieve. You affirm weakness in your life, and you are living a life filled with self-hate while also ageing.
Na just one life you get ooo 😏, why would you want to rust out without no use?
If you have the HEALTH EXCUSITIS, do well for yourself and live the life that you want without allowing this to restrict how you live.
Intelligence Excusitis - This is a situation where someone feels he/she isn't intelligent or smart enough and uses this as an excuse to not work, live or achieve anything.
I really can't imagine having this as an excuse, but don't be surprised, a lot of people use this as a genuine reason as to why they are not achieving anything.
We most times, underestimate our intelligence Or Overestimate other people's intelligence.
In my previous newsletter "Your Uniqueness is a Power, Create a business with it!" I stated that everyone is a creator, which means you have something within you that you can create.
Being successful at something doesn't require you to have a 3-digit IQ, all it needs is the right attitude towards something that works.
Robert Kiyosaki in his book "Why A Students Work for C Students and B Works for the Government" elaborates more on this. It has never been about the level of intelligence.
Schwartz said, "The thinking that guides your intelligence is much more important than how much intelligence you may have." - Read that again.
How you use your intelligence matters more than how much intelligence you have.
If someone with a 300 IQ doesn't make good use of his IQ by thinking the right way or having the right attitude, someone with a lower IQ will be more successful if he thinks the right way and has a good attitude.
Any level of IQ requires the following to be a success:
Positivity
Interests
Optimism, and
Cooperative Attitude.
If you don't have these, and you are very intelligent, sorry to say, your intelligence can't take you far.
Do away with negativity, have sound interests in anything you need to do, be optimistic about your actions and results, and always cooperate with others. These are very important things to do in your journey to be a success, irrespective of your intelligence.
I think it is also important I remind you that "Knowledge is power - when you use it constructively." Knowledge is just like a blunt axe or cutlass; it is useless until it is sharpened. I believe you understand this.
To overcome intelligence excusitis, understand these:
Never underestimate your intelligence.
Your attitude is more important than your intelligence.
The ability to think is better than memorizing facts with your brain.
Age Excusitis - This happens when someone claims age is a factor as to why he/she isn't getting things done.
Either, too young or too old.
Isn't this a flimsy excuse?
A lot of people carry this excuse confidently as if age has always been a barrier to success.
In this day and age, anyone with this disease is doing so intentionally and isn't ready to accept responsibility.
Young and Old people are getting successful, and Age shouldn't be a reason as to why you are not on the path to being a success.
Why would you think your age is wrong to the extent that you don't even attempt to do try?
There are a lot of stories of successful people, both old and young.
If you are old, or you think you are old, go and read about Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC.
If you are young, just go on YouTube and you will see a lot of young guys making millions in dollars doing legit businesses. Or don't even go that far, ask me 😇.
That is enough reason for you to not use age as an excuse for not being a success.
How to cure this age excusitis?
Look at your current age positively.
Access the productive time that you have.
Invest time in doing what you want to do and not just things that while away your time.
So, age is just a number, it doesn't justify anything.
You might have grey hairs and have strength and energy like a 20-year-old athlete. and you might be in your twenties and have strength and energy like an 80-year-old.
It's all about the thoughts you process.
Luck Excusitis - This is a situation whereby someone feels that others get achievements because they are lucky. And his/her unluckiness isn't making them achieve anything.
The most common definition of LUCK is "When Preparation meets Opportunity".
Do you know what it means to prepare? It means:
You must work.
You must think.
You must plan.
You must learn.
You must sacrifice.
You must be enthusiastic, positive and have the right attitude.
Opportunity comes often and most times hides between challenges and setbacks. If you haven't made the necessary preparations, then you will not be able to see between the lines for these opportunities.
The "preparation" is the "Cause", and the "opportunity" is the "Effect".
If you want to see opportunities, then you must prepare for when it comes. If you don't you either see it and not qualify for it or don't see it at all. That's how nature works.
Solving this excuse is very simple,
First, understand that everything has a cause and effect. You get the results of the actions that you take.
Second, don't be a wishful thinker. Don't waste time dreaming of an effortless way to success, work your way to success.
Amongst all these excuses, you should have found one that you have.
You don't need to be scared, sad or feel neglected because you have an Excusitis. Just work on how you can cure yourself and stick to the plan of making sure you don't have it again.
This is a long one, right? I hope you get some value from this.
I would love to know your comment about this.
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Thank you for reading till the end, I'll catch you on the next one.
Your boy,
Adebakin Ridwan.