Creating Success from the Inside Out: Develop The Focus and Strategy To Uncover the Life You Want

Chapter VII. Don't Listen to Losers, Whiners, and Naysayers—Believe in Yourself

I'd be lying if I led you to believe that everything I have ever done was easy and that there were never any problems. No matter what you set out to do there will be obstacles. Worse yet, there will be no end to the crowds of people who will try to bring you down. Whether it is from misguided love, envy, or pure meanness they will argue that everything you're doing is wrong.

They can be your best friends, your parents, your spouse, your school buddies, even your own employees. These people automatically assume they have a better answer than you do. Usually their advice is to simply not do whatever it is you're planning. They will tell you the timing is wrong, the location is bad, the name sucks, the logo is awful, the product is wrong, and that nobody will buy what you're selling.

If you have any self doubts at all, these individuals will zero right in on them. They'll jump up and down on your dreams and kick your well-laid plans all over the parking lot. No matter how difficult it is, you must learn to tune them out or keep them out. No matter how well meaning they profess to be, their negativity will only do you harm.

There are two things to keep in mind when the naysayers start yapping. The first has to do with their qualifications. Ask yourself these questions about their free advice:

• Have any one of these people actually done anything even close to what you want to do?

• Do they have any first hand ...