The Program

61Don’t Let Anyone Make Excuses for You

IF WE WANT to compete for championships, we cannot make excuses. More challenging, we must never allow others to makes excuses for us either. Unfortunately, the people who love us the most (and with whom we spend the most time), tend to make the most excuses for us.

Sam Cila’s loved ones could not help but make excuses for him after he had his hand amputated. They could not avoid knowing what he had been through, and they saw the pain and adversity that he experienced daily. And they made excuses. They were blinded by their love for him. At the time, Sam not only made excuses for himself about why he couldn’t achieve his goals in life, but he also allowed his loved ones to make those same excuses for him. We are in no way disparaging Sam’s family. We can’t imagine telling a beloved child to “toughen up” after an injury like that. However, excuses only hold us back. As discussed, if we make an excuse, we are not accepting the responsibility for the outcomes in our lives. It wasn’t until Sam realized this that he was able to build himself into the warrior that he is now, a warrior who is even tougher, more disciplined, and more driven than the one who joined the Army after 9/11.

However, people continue to make excuses for Sam. His mother still tries to cut his steak because, even though he is one of the toughest, most intimidating guys we know, “Poor Sammy only has one hand.” Sam knows those excuses come from a place of love, but he also ...