Sometimes the thing holding you back is all in your head

Lots of people don't achieve their dreams because they are too afraid to try. They feel that they aren't smart enough or strong enough or experienced enough to make their dreams come true. The fact is, most people hold themselves back because they convince themselves that they cannot do it. Life is too short to worry about the what ifs and coulda woulda's. Don't be like this horse tied up to a plastic chair and kick your plastic chair down.

Get the hell out of Hell

There are times in every entrepreneur's career when they feel like they can't do it anymore and they can't handle the hell they are going through. Winston Churchill said it best that "if you're going through hell, keep going." The only way to get out of the rutt you are stuck in, is to keep on trucking and moving past the point of pain. There are many successful entrepreneurs that have contemplated giving up right before making their breakthrough. If they did give up and stopped what they were doing, we probably would have never heard of them. Remember that the hell you are going through is not permanent and it is in your control to maneuver out of it.

I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill - Will Smith

 

Will Smith is one of my favorite actors. I have been following him since his rapping days with DJ Jazzy Jeff. His success has always inspired me and gives me faith that working harder than the next guy will bring you success in the long run. Will's quote above reminds me of the Ethan Hawke movie, Gattaca. In the movie, Ethan Hawke's character races his genetically enhanced brother in a swimming contest and beats him by "never sav[ing] anything for the swim back." Will Smith will not be beat when it comes to preparing for the big stage and neither should you.    

- Nasir Shakouri