The story is told about a dog that was sitting on its master's porch one day. The dog was moaning and groaning, and occasionally he broke out into a loud whine.
All the while the dog's owner quietly rocked nearby, seemingly unconcerned. A man walking by the house asked why the dog was acting that way.
The dog's owner said, "Because he's lying on a nail." The man asked, "Well, why doesn't he get off it?" The owner said, "Because it's not hurting bad enough."
We've all encountered people who are like that dog. They moan and groan about their jobs, their circumstances, their situations, but they never seem to have enough energy to do something about any of it.
They aren't yet sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Enough Already!
Each of us is born with the power to change our attitude, and very often, change the circumstances that we don't like. We do not have to be victims of the words "but," "would," "could," and "should."
Authors John Roger and Peter McWilliams were wise when they wrote: "'But' is a crutch; it is an excuse for procrastinators…. It allows us to validate our inaction. When hard times hit…look for reasons to move forward, not for reasons to idle through life."
Excerpt permission granted by Honor Books, Inc.
Van Crouch is widely regarded as one of the best and more versatile speakers in America. As the founder and president of Van Crouch Communications, Van challenges individuals to achieve excellence in their lives. After ranking as a consistent sales leader with the American Express Company, Van went on to receive many awards for outstanding performance in the insurance industry and has been a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table.
