Did you read the story about the man who walked across Niagara Falls? My wife shared the story with me a few weeks back and I was intrigued to see how he did it. After doing some research I discovered that he used a harness during the stunt. After discovering that fact I told my wife, “but he used a harness,” as a way to try to discredit the incredible stunt.
Credit: CNN
A few days later I was thinking about it and realized so what? He still did something incredible that had not been done before. I then realized that often we use the harness excuse when dealing with our personal finances. We look at others who have turned things around financially by living on less than they make, paying off debt, and saving for the future and try to discredit their achievement. “But they make a lot of money,” “they have no kids,” or “Their debt wasn’t as big as ours” are some of the things we say to cheapen their accomplishment. Granted, some of those things are true, but they still did it and instead of being inspired to do something incredible on our own financially, we use others’ harnesses as excuses not to take control of our own situation.
Of course from the outside everybody has it easier than us, but we don’t know the situations or details of other people’s finances. So stop being distracted by the harnesses of others. Instead look at the accomplishments they have achieved and use it as inspiration to make a change in your own life.
Have you ever been distracted by a ‘harness’? If so what was it and how did you overcome it?
