By best selling author and speaker Tim Connor
Sooner or later, someone is going to cross your path and attempt to discourage you, dissuade you or even sabotage you or your success or happiness. These people can take many forms. They can be a spouse, parent, friend, in-law, supervisor, child, neighbor, supervisor, customer or fellow employee. Regardless of who they are their intended agenda is the same - to hurt you in some emotional way by telling you that you can't do something, shouldn't try or that if you do you will most likely fail.
Turn them off. Get them out of your life. Delete them. Don’t give them an inch in your consciousness or life.
People often disguise their comments by saying things like, “I just want you to be realistic.” Being realistic is often an excuse for being negative. Or, “I don’t want you to be hurt (to fail, be disappointed, etc., etc., etc.)”
Again I say, turn them off. Don’t give them any room in your plans, goals, hopes or dreams. Avoid them. Don’t let them negatively influence your life story, desires, or life destiny. Let them sabotage their own life.
I have had a few of these people in my life from time to time. And I am sorry that I did not recognize them for what they were sooner. If I had, I would have saved myself a great deal of grief and accomplished a great deal much sooner. than I did. Oh well, later is better than not at all.
I love the quote by the late Arthur Ashe, “True greatness is: start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.” That says it all.
It doesn’t say anything about – I’ll try, some day, if I am lucky, if I meet the right people, when I have enough money, belong to the right groups or clubs, if I go to the right schools, have the right parents, am the right age, color or sex.
And it doesn't ever say - I am too old or too young, too short or too tall, too beautiful or too ugly.
Who are your soothsayers? They can be easily recognized. They seldom encourage you, pat you on the back, support you or believe in you.
Get them out of your life, if not physically, then mentally or emotionally.
Now I understand that if one of your soothsayers is a spouse or boss that you can't just flick your finger and - they are history. You many not be able to remove some of these people physically from your life, for now, but you can at least no longer give them power over your dreams, desires, plans or actions.
