Set The Bar High

Our world satisfies itself by lowering standards. After all, set the bar low, and you’ll surpass it every time. We’ve become a people satisfied with accomplishing something easy rather than failing and struggling for something large.

This is a sickening regression of culture.

Instead of being full of movers and shakers, inventors and dreamers, our world is now full of the lazy, underachievers, and those craving immediate gratification. If they invented in our world, we wouldn’t have light bulbs because Thomas Edison would have given up after one or two failed attempts, those attempting to make vaccines would have stopped after people kept getting more and more sick, and the Founding Fathers would have looked at British troops, said, “This is too hard,” and given up on America.

We wouldn’t be where we are today if those who came before us had our same way of thinking.

This attitude is masked by the phrases ‘have realistic expectations’ and ‘don’t get your hopes up’. When I tell people I want to run for office when I’m 25 because I want to make a difference for my country, the majority look at me with raised eyebrows and the patronizing, “Wow, that’s great.” Thankfully, I have people that support my big dreams, because the constant onslaught of low expectations would grow tiresome if not for that.

Why SHOULDN’T people set the bar high? Sure, you’re not going to succeed every time. You may not get the dream job, or achieve the thing you were desiring, but at least you TRIED. Failure teaches more lessons than achieving ever will.

So, set the bar high! Dream big! Have standards for yourself!

Don’t settle for less. Whether that means holding off on dating because the people you’re around would be settling, passing up on a job that pays more to take a job you truly love, or going for something when people think you’re crazy for trying. We were created to dream big dreams and achieve great things.

Why not start now?

(PC: Wikimedia Commons)