Yeah, but…

Two of the most frustrating words that I often hear from people are “Yeah, but…” These two words are nearly always a precursor to an excuse.

So many people resent other people’s success. They say, “Yeah, my dog could be the number one ranked dog in the country, but who wants to be on the road that much or spend all that money?”

Or they will say something like, “Yeah, I’d like to have as many dogs as he has, but I do not have enough time.” Or “Yeah, my dog could win wall climb competitions, but I don’t have a wall.”

I guess it is human nature to look at people who are successful and be jealous of their success. Out of self-defense the human brain tries to rationalize and excuse our own shortcomings.

So instead of acknowledging their own deficiencies people will say, “Yeah, but he constantly is training…” or “Yeah, but he has no social life…”

They make excuses instead of realizing that this is how success works.

I’m sure those that have been following me over the years are sick of hearing this from me, but I will say it again because I want it to sink in. Winners win because they sacrifice short-term pleasures for long-term success. Being successful takes tremendous effort. There is a price that needs to be paid for everything. Those unwilling to pay the price, always end in failure.

Every day I receive questions from people across the world looking for advice. I am always willing to help others when I am asked for guidance. I truly feel that is part of my responsibility to give back to the breed. However, there is only so much I can do. The hard work is going to have to be done by you. I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has asked my advice, and then after I give it to them, they tell me “Yeah, but…” then follow up with reasons as to why they can’t follow my recommendations. 99% of the time, these are nothing but self-deceptive rationalizations. Most people want to hear a shortcut or a trick that will propel them to success. The truth is, if you want sustained success you are going to have to work for it. There are no secret hacks. There are no other ways around it. For instance, one question I am often asked is how to become a good dog breeder. When I tell people the first step to becoming a successful dog breeder is securing a plot of acreage conducive to raising at least ten to twenty dogs, they usually reply with the one of the following. “Yeah, but I do not want to take care of twenty dogs.” “Yeah, but I do not have enough money to buy ten acres of land.” “Yeah, but so and so is a great dog breeder and he lives in the city.” When people reply this way, they have already lost. When I hear the “Yeah, but…” I tune them out and merely reply with “OK” and go on about my day. It is a waste of my time to continue on with people of this mindset. It is the mindset of a loser and it kills success.

When people stop begrudging the success of others and stop making excuses as to why they can’t accomplish something life becomes a lot less frustrating. Be happy for those who achieve success. Be less judgmental and more focused on what you are doing. At the end of the day, whether you like it or not, winners will win. Ultimately, the results are the results. Take accountability. If you are not satisfied with the results you are getting then usually you either aren’t working hard enough, you aren’t being patient enough or you just aren’t good enough. It all starts and ends with having the right mindset. Throw the excuses out the window and grind. Perseverance is paramount.