I remember distinctly one day when I was tired from having begun my homework far too late the night before. I lay my head down on my desk and after a few moments was conscious of the teacher looking down at me. Much to my surprise, he did not look angry, just disappointed. "If only you would make an effort," he said, and walked away. I realized that what he said was true: I was not making the effort. I would say that I was trying hard, as I ran my laps in gym class, or opened up a book to study, but I really was not fully present in the moment -- I was always doing things in a half-hearted way and looking for an excuse why things did not come out as I hoped. I was afraid to try 100%, because that might mean losing 100%. Not trying and blaming others was a way of protecting my ego.

I would also hold back socially because I was filled with a sense of not being good enough -- I told myself I needed better clothes, a better personality, and a better haircut to be accepted by my peers. If I had more money, if I had more support, then things would be different.
Waiting on the sidelines for life to change means waiting forever: life never changes of its own accord; you have to orchestrate that change. You only get one life, one chance to enjoy the world. Trying hard and making a fool of yourself is more meaningful, and teaches you more than making excuses. And at least, if you try, you have no regrets. You only truly 'own' your successes if you stop making excuses for your imperfections when you fail.