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| | If you ask a child what does he want to be when he grows up, he will probably say something incredible, an astronaut, a gold medalist in the Olympics, president, even superman. |
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< | Children are not afraid to be heroes, maybe because they do not know the difficulties and risks involved in achieving their dreams. Unfortunately, in the transition to adulthood, those around them will make sure they discover those difficulties and risks and be it tacitly or explicitly the reaction to the manifestation of their aspirations will be: NO YOU CAN’T. |
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> | Children are not afraid to be heroes, maybe because they do not know the difficulties and risks involved. Unfortunately, in the transition to adulthood, those around them will make sure they discover those difficulties and risks and be it tacitly or explicitly the reaction to the manifestation of their aspirations will be: NO YOU CAN’T. |
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< | Why do we do this to them? According to Arnold, when you go against the established creeds, prejudice will compel others to oppose you and inform you of the dangers involved on the way to attaining your purposes. More surprisingly, even if your goals are within the boundaries of accepted rules, such as being a successful professional, you will still hear many NO YOU CAN’Ts. Although the origin of these negative responses will vary, many of them are directed at stopping you from doing what you are not supposed to according to your predetermined reality as measured by social class, intelligence or physical condition, among other factors. |
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> | Why people do this to them? According to Arnold, when you go against the established creeds, prejudice will compel others to oppose you and inform you of the dangers involved on the way to attaining your purposes. More surprisingly, even if your goals are within the boundaries of accepted rules, such as being a successful professional, you will still hear many NO YOU CAN’Ts. Although the origin of these negative responses will vary, many of them are directed at stopping you from doing what you are not supposed to according to your predetermined reality as measured by social class, intelligence or physical condition, among other factors. |
| | Overcoming these obstacles is hard. Once you grow up and become aware of the “reality” those around you spend so much time pointing out, there is a high chance you will be have become afraid of following your original plans. You then face a crucial choice in your life: which path do I follow? How much effort should I put into it?
Desire Never Dies |
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< | If an individual does not become what he wanted to be, as he made a conscious choice to play safe or because the obstacles were too great to defeat, the initial aspirations will still be there and thus the chances of being frustrated will be high. |
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> | If an individual does not become what he wanted to be, as he made a conscious choice to play safe or because the obstacles were too great to defeat, the initial aspirations will still be there and thus the chances of becoming frustrated will be high. |
| | Sports brands are aware of this. Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan or Adidas’ “Impossible Is Nothing” address specifically this issue. President Obama also understood this when he decided to use his famous “Yes We Can” during his campaign. |
| | The Real Message |
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< | Apparently there is no contradiction between people’s inner desire to believe that they can do anything and the message provided by commercial slogans or political speeches. Unfortunately, what reality is telling us everyday is: |
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> | Apparently, there is no contradiction between people’s inner desire to believe that they can do anything and the message provided by commercial slogans or political speeches. Unfortunately, what reality is telling us everyday is: |
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< | “YES YOU CAN, do only what everybody else does, without taking too many risks and always within the limits imposed on you.” |
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> | “YES YOU CAN, do only what everybody else does and always within the limits imposed on you.” |
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Can You Really Do It?
There Are People Who Do It |
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< | There are those few individuals who are not afraid to take on the challenge of pursuing their ideals. Martin Luther King is a good example in his fight against racial discrimination or Mother Teresa in her crusade to help the poor in India. Examples in less transcendental areas include Vincent Van Gogh, who was not considered a good artist during his life, or Oscar Pistorius, who has no legs and runs faster than many professional athletes. There are also many individuals from poor families who studied in the best universities making great sacrifices to pay for their education. |
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> | There are those few individuals who are not afraid to take on the challenge of pursuing their ideals. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a good example in his fight against racial discrimination or Mother Teresa in her crusade to help the poor in India. Examples in less transcendental areas include Vincent Van Gogh, who was not considered a good artist during his life, or Oscar Pistorius, who has no legs and runs faster than many professional athletes. There are also many individuals from poor families who studied in the best universities making great sacrifices to pay for their education. |
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Why Does not Everybody Else Do It? |