I Forgot!

Recently, I asked a group of students, "How many of you have received strong criticism from those you love the most about you pursuing your dreams?" To my surprise, at least 95% of a 200+ audience raised their hand!

I had forgotten about how much resistance you are likely to receive when pursuing your dreams. My mom has been extremely supportive of me for my entire life. But when I got passionate about entrepreneurship in high school, she was afraid that I would do worse in school and not follow the safe path of becoming a computer programmer like her. All I wanted to do was share my incredible passion and at least let her see a little bit of what I was experiencing. However, I couldn't and I cried a number of times until I simply stopped talking about it.

This resistance will most likely come from the people you love the most; friends, family, etc. They will encourage you to follow plan B before plan A. My advice? Don't! Follow plan A with everything you have! Some things to keep in mind:

1. They all want the best for you and have good intentions.
   
2. Listen to their thoughts and learn from them, but do not take them to heart. You are the only one who can see your vision. Don't let others take away your sight.
   
3. Surround yourself with other dreamers - especially when times are tough! They are not the majority, but there are a ton out there. If you can't find anybody then look around you. Look at the products/services you use on a daily basis. Many of these were created by dreamers.
   
4. Don't give up! Now is the time to go for your dreams. You have very little to lose. There is much more to lose by giving up or delaying than by putting everything into something you're passionate about.
   
5. If you're not passionate, people can tell in a second. If you are passionate, they'll support you.
   
6. The same people that are critical will secretly admire you and your determination. When you hit a high point, they will be there to celebrate with you and you will be an inspiration for them.
   
7. As I've heard other speakers say, "You can always get a job!". In other words, if you're a passionate, friendly and ambitious person, you'll be able to find something to fall forward on to if your dreams don't go as expected in the short-term.