Take a walk in a big city. It could be Chicago, Boston, LA. Smell the faint stench of sewer on a hot day, observe shadows of glistening buildings hulking over you.

People pass on all sides in waves of color, bearing with them their own shadows, just as you, when sunlight touches them and stretches around. They might be lawyers, prostitutes, clergy; no ethnicity is excluded. All are equal; they have shadows. It’s a law of nature, of the physical world; every material thing casts a shadow of its own.

Take a walk in the countryside. It could be in the farmland of Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, perhaps a forest of trees. Smell the fragrance of spring blossoms, manure fertilizing crops, observe shadows of trees rustling in the breeze.

I’m Too Busy
Prior to writing this excuse catalog, I invited visitors to my website to e-mail me their excuses for not living at the highest levels. In essence, I was interested in the excuses they have used in their lives. “I’m too busy” easily topped the list.

If you’re overextended, know that you’ve chosen to be in this position. All of the activities of your life, including those that take up huge portions of your time, are simply the result of the choices you make. If your family responsibilities are problematic, you’ve opted to prioritize your life in this way. If your calendar is crammed, you’ve decided to live with a full schedule. If there are way too many small details that only you can handle, then this, again, is a choice you’ve made.

I Don’t Have the Energy
Not having the vitality to fulfill your life purpose is part of a learned response. I’m tired, I’m exhausted, I’m worn out, and I’m too weary are just a few varieties of mind viruses that have infected you, consciously or not.

They’re generally an unintended excuse as opposed to a legitimate explanation for not doing the things you want to do. Accept the belief that you’re lacking the energy to make significant changes in your life and you latch on to a flimsy, albeit very effective, strategy for maintaining some pretty slovenly habits.

12. I’m Too Old (or Not Old Enough)
The age of your body can seem to be quite an obstacle on the road to changing long-held thinking habits, particularly since you received an extensive list of memes concerning age very early on.

Depending on where you grew up, you heard statements such as: “You can’t ride your bicycle until you’re seven,” “You can’t sleep over until you’re ten,” “You can’t drive a car until you’re 16,” and “You can’t have sex until you’re married.” Then at some point you discovered that you went from being not old enough to being too old!