About this quote

We love to point at bad luck or a lack of resources as the reason we are stuck. It feels safer to play the victim because taking action requires real risk. But sitting around waiting for the perfect opportunity is a trap. If the door you want to walk through does not exist, you have to grab some tools and build it yourself. What concrete step can you take today to change your situation instead of just complaining about it?

When to use it

• My colleague was complaining that our company never offers leadership training. Instead of waiting for HR, she organized an informal peer-learning group during lunch.
• I wanted to train for a half-marathon, but my neighborhood has no sidewalks. I stopped using that as an excuse and found a local high school track open to the public on weekends.
• When the university canceled the advanced coding class due to low enrollment, a few students got together to study the material online and built their own group project.
• A local baker could not get a bank loan to open a physical storefront. She started selling artisan loaves from a cart in her driveway to build her customer base first.