Let’s continue the motivational myths. If you haven’t read the myth no.1-10, you might need to read the previous post.

6. Be Yourself

Lousy advice! What if you are stupid? What if you are an asshole? What if you are a stupid asshole? If you are an asshole, stop being yourself and try to figure out how to be someone else—even if it is just a non-asshole version of yourself.

7. You Are Perfect Just The Way You Are

If you believed that, you would not have bought this book. You do not believe that for a minute. We could debate this issue a good long while, but instead let me give you my take on this myth. Yes, spiritu¬ally you are perfect just the way you are. God loves you and accepts you just the way you are. I love this thought and find it comforting, as should you.

So spiritually it is true you are perfect just as you are. However, on a practical level, you are not perfect just the way you are. You proba¬bly need to change many things about yourself in order for you to be the kind of person the rest of us can put up with.

While God will accept you just the way you are, the rest of us will not. We want you to be nice and reasonable and fairly easy to get along with. Otherwise we will not hire you, buy from you, marry you, or be your friend. And you will grow old while being lonely and broke. So wise up and change.

8. There Are No Problems, Only Opportunities

Have you heard that? The motivational types love that one. What planet are these people from? I have problems. Period. They are not opportunities. They are problems. And they must be dealt with like problems. Of course these pie-in-the-sky thinkers who say this are also the ones who are out there saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” Not where I come from.

Sometimes the sky is black and all it does is rain and storm and make a mess. And sometimes when it storms like that the only thing you can do is take cover. There is no silver lining ahead; brace yourself for a tornado!
The folks who say this stuff are well-meaning. I know all they are trying to do is to get you to put it in perspective, and that all bad even¬tually holds some good. But to cram motivational clichés down our throats when we are facing real turmoil is insulting.

A problem is a problem. Hurt is real. Pain exists. These are the re¬alities of life. There is no help in sugarcoating them. While every problem can teach us a valuable lesson, it still needs to be called a problem and dealt with like it is a problem.

9 .Give 110 Percent

Sure, that will do it. Just get out there and give it 110 percent! No? Well that is what all of the motivational gurus say is the key. I have heard them myself. Some of them will even sell you a little lapel pin that has “110%” on it so you can prove to others what a gullible idiot you are.

You cannot give 110 percent. It is impossible. One hundred per¬cent is all there is. It’s the maximum. There is no 110 percent; it does not exist and you cannot give it.

It is like getting on the airplane and having the flight attendant announce the flight is going to be extremely full. No, it is not. The flight is only full. Full is 100 percent. It cannot be more than full. If the flight gets more than 100 percent full, then someone is not going.

This really is not a problem for most folks. Very few ever face the challenge of giving more than 100 percent because most people seem to be quite comfortable operating at about 60 percent. Most people work just hard enough so they will not get fired. If you even approach 100 percent, I applaud you. You are in the minority.
However, while you cannot give 110 percent, I will grant you this: You can give more than you think you can. You always have more to give. But you cannot give more than there is. And 100 percent is all there is.

10. Beware Of What I Say Here Too

Be careful what you buy into and act upon—even the stuff I am telling you in this book. Try it, and if it works, run with it. If it doesn’t, then run from it. Dump it and get another book and try something else that does work for you.