One of the greatest tragedies of life is that when you step out and boldly go after what you want, you’ll receive criticism from friends, family, and those who know you well.
It’s often not strangers who stop us. It’s well-meaning family and friends who don’t believe in us or what we’re doing. It hurts to acknowledge this, but it’s usually the truth.
By stopping you, family and friends think they’re protecting you from having to experience failure. They are also unconsciously afraid to see you succeed. The reality is that if you’re not careful, people who are close to you can emotionally cripple you and shatter your dreams.
The solution is to stop letting the people in your life define your limits. Refuse to allow other people to define what you are going to do or not do. Be respectful to your family and friends who don’t believe in you, and then be sure to prove them wrong. Don’t let them affect your mindset, choices, actions, and results.
Once you get past this first (and very challenging) layer of criticism from people who know you, there’s an entire world of people out there who will hugely benefit from your gifts, talents, and dreams.
You may have come across dysfunctional people, but you can still choose who you surround yourself with.
Jeff Davis is the author of The Power of Authentic Leadership.
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