Sayings such as, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” or “Once a thief, always a thief” popularize two mistaken and absurd ideas. The first one suggests, and perhaps even encourages us to believe, that there is a certain age after which nothing new can possibly be learned, while the second states as fact that there are some habits or behaviors that can never be changed. To Dr. Camilo Cruz, author of ONCE UPON A COW: Eliminating Excuses and Settling for Nothing But Success (Perigee Hardcover; September 2009; $19.95), these fashionable aphorisms are nothing more than well disguised excuses, justifications, pretexts and explanations–or as he calls them: “cows”—that are great at only one thing, keeping us bound to a life of mediocrity, settling for second place and preventing us from living the life we truly deserve and were meant to live.

These ideas not only make us feel powerless but also blind us to the ability we have to change, learn, and adapt in positive ways. We simply assume that if pundits, preachers, and parents are repeating these adages, then they must be true or, at the very least, they must contain some golden nugget of good advice. Nevertheless, often the only reason they’ve become familiar sayings is simply that they’re cows shared by a great number of people.

For example, take a moment to consider whether the following popular proverbs have any validity or whether they’re just very opportune excuses:

• No good deed goes unpunished.
• Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
• It takes money to make money.
• Don’t expect much, and you’ll never be disappointed.
• Better safe than sorry.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of these sayings to appreciate what they truly represent and what it is costing you to subscribe to them. Imagine, for example, the absurdity of believing that not only will our good deeds not be rewarded but we’ll also be punished for them. What a cynical philosophy of life.

Or picture how illogical it would be to say no to a new career opportunity, preferring to stay in a job that you no longer enjoy and is not getting you anywhere because “better the devil you know than the angel you don’t.” Yet many people accept this adage at face value, not knowing that in doing so they are settling for far less than they deserve.

How about this one: “It takes money to make money.” Let’s evaluate how accurate that really is. I’ve certainly heard it from many wannabe entrepreneurs who are unwilling to take action and instead excuse themselves with the help of this pearl of wisdom. A true entrepreneur will surely tell you that this idea is totally erroneous. Time and time again, the many success stories of those who dare to dream big dreams have shown us that it takes vision, commitment, and perseverance­—­not money­—­to turn an idea into gold.

“Better safe than sorry,” implies that unless we play it safe, at the end we’ll pay a heavy price for our boldness; that if we take risks, choose the unfamiliar, aim too high, or dare to try something new, more than likely we’ll always be sorry.

Therefore, before you get caught using any of this “conventional wisdom” again, make sure that you’re not perpetuating these and other cows that serve no purpose other than to make you more accepting and tolerant of an average life.

Webster Dictionary defines the word “Crisis” as a crucial or decisive point or situation; an emotionally significant event, a turning point toward improvement or deterioration or a juncture that requires us to make a decision and take action.

What it does not say is that it is “the end of the world”, “the worse thing that can happened to you”, or “the biggest failure you’ll ever face”. It is simply an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is awaiting.

In fact, the Chinese language offers us an even better take on this word. The word for “crisis” (wēijī) consists of two separate characters, wēi (which conveys the notion of danger) and jī (which indicates a crucial point than can either turn out for better or for worse, but when coupled with wēi signifies the possibility of a highly undesirable outcome). A crisis is a crucial moment that poses a great danger; a testing time, if you will.

Where am I going with all of this? Lately it’s impossible to turn on the radio, watch TV or read the papers without learning about another victim of the “economic crisis”. And here is where the real danger is: in allowing the negative news and reigning pessimism to tell us how to think and act with respect to our goals and the challenges we may be facing. What is crucial? The need to make decisions, evaluate alternatives and take swift action.

Unfortunately, in times of crisis, most people want somebody else solve the problem; sit and wait and have patience. We select from an infinite array of excuses, justifications, pretexts, explanations and apologies–I call them “cows”—that we have at our disposal for such instances. And once we have mustered a believable excuse we feel freed from taking any further action.

I think this is the real danger the Chinese definition is referring to: allowing these cows to rule our life, telling us how to think and act. We need to kill our cows and realize that our real obstacle is to overcome self-imposed limitations on our true potential and ability to succeed.

Can you think of any cows that may be holding you back from using your true potential and living the life you want?