Try Harder — A Master Class from Janis Joplin
By: Gary Ryan Blair
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Startup, Personal Growth, Life, Leadership

It was 2:30am when Janis Joplin finally took the stage and strutted her stuff for the audience on August 17, 1969 at The Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

Her set opened with Raise Your Hand and ten songs later she wrapped up her unforgettable performance with Ball and Chain.

In between, in the sweet spot of her set at slot 5 was a sensational performance of… Try Just a Little Bit Harder.

It’s an amazing song and along with her other tunes Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz…it’s one of my favorites.

I just love the spirit and raw intensity she brought to all of her performances…and her songs are on a regular rotation in my car with the speakers cranked.

For the purposes of this message, I want to shine a bright light on the word TRY…on the significant role that TRYING HARDER plays in your life…and discuss the things YOU must do to make the most of your life while there’s still time on the clock.

We’re all familiar with the phrase I Owe You (IOU) which means that you are indebted to someone for something.

But about what You Owe You (UOU) as in what do you owe yourself, what are you indebted to do with this one life you’ve been given?

I’m of the belief that the greatest waste of untapped resources in this world is untapped human potential. I’m talking about the hopes, dreams and goals that don’t translate into purposeful, goal-directed behavior.

As to what do UOU…the answer is a lot more than you think.

You owe it to yourself to try just a little bit harder…for that person’s heart, for that new opportunity, for that chance that could turn it all around.

Your owe it to yourself to try just a little bit harder…to face your fears, to overcome obstacles, to do everything in your power to make your dreams come true.

You owe it to yourself to try just a little bit harder…to pursue what you want with a passion so relentless and unyielding that no obstacle or resistance force could hold you back from achieving it.

You owe it to yourself to try and try again…that’s what UOU.

Unfortunately, too many of us are obsessed with playing it safe by engaging in creative acts of protective posturing.

We are unwilling to pay the steep price that success demands.

We go to great lengths…unbelievable measures to keep our walls up and keep the possibility of disappointment out.

We mistakenly believe that this behavior protects us. We believe that by not trying we are acting wisely. How foolish and casualty creating this belief is.

But here’s what we never really take the time to consider…

The extent to which we’re limiting, undermining and bullying ourselves by not even trying, we are conspiring to keep ourselves small and our lives insignificant.

It’s time that you woke up to the reality that UOU.

You really are playing a high stakes game of one and done…which means you have a moral obligation to at least TRY to make the most of this one life you’ve been given.

You owe it to yourself to believe in yourself…to love yourself…to honor yourself, and you do that by trying just a little harder than you have before.

You’ve got one bite of this apple called life…it’s time you go all in and start pursuing your big goals, wild adventures and crazy dreams.

Today..(check that) right now is a good time for you to TRY HARDER…even though there’s a distinct possibility of failure, setback and suffering.

Go get ’em tiger!

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Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows people how to achieve 10X size goals by applying the methods and best practices of growth hacking. Get the free manifesto here.