I received a call last week from a college student I have been mentoring. He immediately started complaining about all the work his professor is making him do to get the grade he needs to graduate. “It’s just too much,” He said.
After he calmed down, I attempted to put things in perspective, speaking his language.
I reminded him about the time he almost got kicked off the football team if he didn’t get his act together. I brought up two summers ago when he worked 60-plus hours for three straight weeks to buy a plane ticket to get home and see his family.
Then, I made him tell me why he went through so much trouble to get his iPhone 11.
The answer was simple.
“Man, I wanted that phone bad,” He said, smiling.
I responded by asking him a question: “So, what’s the difference now?”
I know he wants to graduate. That’s not why he called crying me a river. The problem is he forgot that paying the price for what he wants is something he has always done.
What I wanted to do is remind him that he has invested too much to come up short now.
So, I told him, “Your dream is not for sale. If you want what you say you want, you’ll do whatever work he needs from you and pay the price.”
Here’s a question for all my dream-chasers: Are you willing to pay the price to get what you say you want?
Jason A. Dixon is the author of The Coach Me Up Monday Blog and the host of The Coach Me Up Monday Podcast, published on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Coach Jason is passionate about helping young people discover their purpose, use their power, and reach their potential.