The effort to overcome the greatest barriers in life that a man faces somewhat reflects his level of success, wanting to start a business but thinking that he should wait until he has money before starting something grand, always wanting to quit his office job to pursue a path of music creation but fearing that he won't earn enough to eat. Wanting to love a beautiful girl but fearing being compared to her background and status. Unfortunately, those life barriers only exist in one's own thoughts, and it is time to recognize, confront, and overcome them to rise to one's own peak.
1. Overcoming one's ego
There is a story that tells of a day when someone asked a famous ancient Greek philosopher. He was the most learned person in the world, so did he know the distance between heaven and earth? He replied: Three feet, which means one foot is 0.33 m. This person seemed skeptical and said that, sir, apart from children, all humans are five or six feet tall. If the distance between heaven and earth is only three feet, then haven't we pierced the sky? He continued: That's right, anyone taller than three feet must know how to bow their head down to stand between heaven and earth.
This ancient story tells us a truly profound lesson; bowing one's head is a level of behavior, a way of dealing with life. He has shown us a truly profound principle: bowing down to know that humility is also a way to elevate oneself. The heavier the rice, the more it bows its head; the more mature a person becomes, the less they talk and the more they do. It can be said that the ego is a complex that is hard to explain, but the important reason that currently leads to the failure of most men is that they do not know how to bow their heads. We always think that what we are doing is right, so those who think differently must be wrong. We always consider ourselves better than others, so we surely do not need to listen to or care about those people because they are not good enough.
We always dare not frankly acknowledge our shortcomings and weaknesses just because of pride, fearing being exposed. The moment we know to take a step back, accept our mistakes, listen to and respect everyone's opinions, that is the beginning of greater success, because bowing down is not a specific action but a way of interacting between people. Bowing down does not mean being submissive or lowly; the bowing down here is the simple, humble bowing of those with ethics and culture in society. Bowing down also clearly expresses oneself, recognizing one's value and position, knowing how to bow down humbly is also to elevate oneself.
2. Overcoming societal prejudices
Abraham Lincoln went through failure after failure for 28 years, and many people doubted the path he chose. In 1833, he suffered from nervous breakdown and lost when running for the position of spokesperson. In 1848, he lost re-election to Congress and was dismissed from the land office in 1849. In 1854, he lost in the Senate election. Two years later, he lost again in the appointment for vice president and once again lost in the Senate election in 1858. However, his heart remained steadfast despite the failures.
In 1860, he was elected president and went down in history as one of the greatest presidents of the United States. Additionally, we know that Lincoln was a man who suffered much pain and bitterness. His first love died before he could marry her, and his marriage to his wife was probably enough to destroy any man with less courage and determination than Lincoln. However, historians agree that if Lincoln had been happy in his marriage, he might never have become a president. Abraham Lincoln never stopped striving to rise from the failures and sorrows in life; he dedicated himself and sacrificed selflessly to bring peace, welfare, and dignity to humanity.
The above is just a typical story of the imposition that the vast majority of us build for ourselves a standard from society, and part of that begins with comparing and evaluating others. In simple terms, social prejudice is the inherent viewpoints and thoughts of the majority, formed before there is awareness of the issue or object. The common characteristic of prejudice is its negativity and stereotypical beliefs about people, events, as well as the tendency to discriminate.
In society, we often see prejudices based on factors such as race, gender, religion, and culture. Examples of social prejudice include that going to university is the best, women must marry before 30, otherwise they will be considered spinsters. Working for a big company and earning a lot of money is the only way to be considered successful. Introverted personalities will suffer many disadvantages, so they must be extroverted; women must depend on men. Tattoos are a sign of bad people; you are not good enough to lead us; you are not good enough to manage 100 people. What? A salary of 5000 dollars? Come on, don't be delusional; you might be able to do something.
The harsh words and evaluations from society create immense pressure on the victims who have to endure them, instead of providing positive feedback and a broader perspective. Society always brings what is called standards to evaluate a person and a life. If you want to succeed, set your goals and find every way to achieve them instead of worrying about what society says. The singer Sơn Tùng M-TP said it very rightly: If you want to sit in a position that no one can sit in, you must endure feelings that no one can endure. Strive to ensure that social prejudices do not dictate your behavior; if you let them influence your actions, it is very likely to lead to discrimination against others. Also, do not spread your own prejudices because you will not know how these shares will affect those around you.
In the end, you may not have the strength to change social prejudices, but you must not let yourself be dissolved into them. Have the courage not to be drawn into the whirlpool of prejudice while seeking empathy and understanding from like-minded people to gain strength, having faith in yourself is the motivation that helps you bravely and confidently overcome social prejudices to become the desired version of yourself. When you have a clear awareness of yourself along with a spirit of responsibility for the path you choose, you will be clear-headed and steady in every step and become stronger when facing social prejudices.
3. Overcoming personal limits
The biggest barrier that men need to overcome is their own thoughts about themselves, thoughts that urge people to act, thoughts that guide people to follow and do everything like a puppet being controlled, and the most harmful thing is that from the very beginning we are wrong when we conclude without ever giving ourselves a chance to try it. I cannot earn 1000 dollars right after graduation; my family is very ordinary, so I won't be able to do better later. I don't think I can increase revenue by 50% in a month. I think I can't, and everything stops there.
You cannot give yourself the right to try once to learn to swim with the thought, I can't; you do not allow yourself to stand up and speak out because of the thought I am afraid of being wrong. Jack Ma did not become a billionaire overnight. How could Henry Ford create the world's leading automobile empire if he thought he couldn't? Success never comes easily; overcoming limits allows you to place your trust in yourself, not to confine yourself to any framework to discover the potential abilities that have never been revealed. If you believe you can become wealthy, you will definitely become wealthy because that thought constantly urges you to act.
In summary, time has passed and cannot be regained, but take action today with the principle of 3 no's to soon break limits and break through. First, no more barriers. Second, do not remain holed up in the comfort zone. Third, do not hold the thought I cannot. The three above mean that you need to eliminate any thoughts that hinder you from achieving your goals, consider barriers and discomfort as opportunities, and turn I cannot into I can.
In addition, devote all your strength and mind to the passions and things you want to do. Just like basketball legend Kobe Bryant, instead of 50%, 75%, or 99%, he focused 120% of his ability and spirit on what he did, especially basketball. Because he understood that every day, every hour, every minute, even every second is valuable and meaningful. He never stopped learning and challenging himself by trying to step out of his comfort zone to improve and become better. That is why Kobe reached the infinite boundary. I believe that each of us can do the same as long as we dare to think, dare to act, and dare to break through limits.