I was afraid of sharing my goals and dreams until I realized I was sharing them with the wrong people. We all have friends and family who love us and support us as well as some who love us but don’t want us to get hurt. When we share a dream with someone who buys into our dreams we get love, support and encouragement. When we share them with people who are fearful about outcomes or that are afraid we might be disappointed or get hurt, we may perceive their response as their disbelief in our abilities and the possibility of achieving our goals.
Everyone hates a negative outcome. Imagine a child with divorced parents waiting for their father to come to visit on the weekend. Continually disappointed because either the father doesn’t show up or he says, “Sorry change of plans. I’ll make it up to you next time.” If this goes on long enough, the child finds it hard to trust, so hope and dreams become associated with sadness or disillusionment.
A person who discourages you or lets you down should be the last person you want to share your outrageous goals with. If you do, be prepared for a negative response. People rarely change their character. When they demoralize you or laugh, do as Mother Theresa so poetically stated and “love them anyway.” Another possibility, use them as an irritation to motivation. A family member once derided me when I said I would earn my first car from Mary Kay. Angry, I put a picture of him over my desk and it motivated me to prove him wrong. My new car was delivered 4 months later.
This article first appeared on YourPinkFriend.com
