It’s 11 Dollar bills, but you’ve only got 10
In 1965 Bob Dylan recorded a song called Subterranean Homesick Blues which includes the line “The man in the coon-skin cap by the big pen, wants 11 Dollar Bills, but you’ve only got 10.”
On the surface these may not be the most profound lyrics Dylan has ever written, but these words have a hidden significance for me. I often quote them to myself when I come up against resistance, whenever I feel stretched by a new challenge or under pressure from increased responsibility. Whenever my goal seems just out of reach, I say to myself “It’s 11 Dollar bills, but you’ve only got 10.”
It serves as a reminder that the future that I want is going to require more resources (experience, cash, knowledge, capabilities) than I’ve got now. If the future you envisage is greater than your present situation, then somewhere along the line you will have to find a way to bridge the gap. It will cost more time than you’ve ever invested before; it will take more energy than you ever knew you could muster, and you will need to draw on undiscovered wells of talent, imagination and creativity.
Meaningful achievements won’t just fall into your lap. They will hang tantalisingly just out of your natural reach, so that you have to stretch yourself to take hold of them.
Don’t feel discouraged - your ambitions are achievable. You just need to remind yourself “It’s 11 Dolar bills, but I’ve only got 10.” And then I ask, “Now where can I get 1 more Dollar?”
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