Les Brown is one of the most powerful motivational speakers of his generation. A man who overcame poverty, being labeled educably mentally retarded as a child, and countless rejections to become a world-renowned speaker and bestselling author. A man who rebuilt himself through one thing above all else: relentless practice and the refusal to accept a ceiling.

We have all heard it. Practice makes perfect. It sounds like wisdom. It feels like encouragement. But Les Brown calls it what it actually is: a limiting belief.

Because perfection is a destination that does not exist. And if you are chasing something that cannot be reached, you either burn out trying or give up believing you will never be good enough. Either way, perfection as a goal works against you.

The truth is both harder and more freeing: you can always better your best. There is no final version of you. No point at which you have extracted everything you are capable of. Every level you reach reveals another level above it. That is the gift. It means the work never runs out of meaning.