Holding On To The Dream
“Mumbler” Willie Wonka shouts at the little boy telling
him his idea won’t work, “What is it with you? I just
can’t hear you?”
Everyone has their critics, perhaps a partner, friend, parents,
or work colleagues. You have a goal, an idea, or an ambition and
they just try to pull you down and tell you it won’t work.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willie Wonka had Mike TeaVee
as his critic, constantly doubting and disbelieving in all of Wonka’s
inventions and ideas. Willie’s method of dealing with this
doubt was to not hear the criticism.
Why do they do this?
Partly it is because they are jealous of your ambition and desire
to succeed. It may also be because in the past they tried to succeed
and failed and they no longer believe it is possible.
Maybe they are trying to protect you from getting hurt. I mean,
they wouldn’t want you working hard to achieve a goal and
then for you to fail and get upset or hurt, would they?
Often times these people are doing the best they can with the resources
they have available to them. Unfortunately, they may not have the
right resources to help you achieve your goals and dreams.
This is why I tell people to be very careful who they share their
goals with. There are times when it is good to tell people your
goals. For example, if you know they are going to support you and
encourage you to achieve your goals, then it is a good idea.
If you are going to have someone hold you accountable to your goal,
then you must tell them. They will encourage you and ensure you
achieve it.
However, if you are like most of the rest of us, there are only
a few select people you can share your goals with. For most of the
rest, you just have to keep quiet and not tell them what you are
working towards; just let them see the results.
If you are not assured about achieving your goals then you really
need to keep them to yourself. If you share your goals with other
people then their criticism or disbelief can seriously impede your
progress towards your target, or in the worst case, stop you completely.
Every successful person on the planet faces constant criticism
and doubt. The difference between them and the millions who have
never dared dream of their goals is that the successful people brush
off the doubt and criticism and believe in themselves.
Admittedly, there are times when perhaps you ought to listen. If
you are standing on top of a tall building thinking you can fly
… that’s a good time to listen to the people who think
you can’t. However, who’s to say that if you believe
you could fly you could, but I wouldn’t test it and wouldn’t
recommend you do either, just in case.
However, in general, you can take a leaf out of Willie Wonka’s
book and ignore the critics around you and believe you can achieve
… because your only limits are those you choose to accept
or allow others to put upon you.
If you want to learn the secrets of motivation and success, visit
LivingMotivation.com.
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