You’ve discovered something you’re passionate about and you tell your friends and family about your idea. You’re really excited to share your idea for a new venture and you know that everyone will be just as excited as you are.
But they’re not.
The people closest to you tell you that you’re nuts. It’s a crazy idea. They give you a million reasons why your idea is stupid and won’t work.
You walk away deflated. You tell yourself that they’re right and that you shouldn’t have ever considered it.
You stuff your idea, that passionate spark, back down inside you and go on with your less-than-passionate life.
But you know the spark won’t go away. If you don’t find a way to express it – your gift to the world – it will fester inside you and drive you crazy until you do something about it. If you don’t do anything, your body can develop aches, pains and illnesses as a way to send your mind the message that something is wrong (check out the book Mind Over Medicine by Lissa Rankin MD on that topic).
What’s the key to turning this situation around? Surround yourself with different people – people who have done what you want to do or people doing other amazing things who confidently support you with whatever your “crazy” idea is.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ~Jim Rohn
Where do you find people like this?
- Go to Meetup.com and enter your city and topic of interest.
There they are – the people you’ve been looking for. And if you don’t see a group that meets in your area on your topic, you can create a group and post it on the site for free. Yes, they will come.
If you’re a complete introvert, like I used to be up until 2008 when I lost my job in the worst job market ever and had to start networking to find a new job (read more about that HERE), there are plenty of other introverts out there waiting to connect with you. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Get out there and meet people. Your life will never be the same. You can thank me for that bit of advice later.
- Attend a conference like the World Domination Summit.
Dee Williams, everyday super hero, at World Domination Summit
I just returned from my second WDS and was completely blown away by the coming together of about 3,000 of the most open-minded, supportive and amazing people you’ll ever experience. If you need inspiration, this is the place to be each July in Portland, Oregon. Click HERE to read about what happened this year.
Besides the amazing lineup of speakers they have, WDS leaves plenty of time and opportunity for magic to happen when amazing people get together and start talking. There are formal and informal meetup’s all over town and everyone is welcome.
- Enroll in a program like Connect With Anyone.
I’ve been a huge fan of Scott Dinsmore and his Live Your Legend site for years (definitely check it out – it’s free and you’ll never be the same after reading a few articles). He was one of my initial sources of inspiration and motivation. I’m so impressed by his leadership inspiring many thousands of people to follow their hearts, connect with supportive and empowering people and accomplish amazing things. He and his wife, Chelsea, are remarkable people (I’ve met them in person a couple times at their meetup’s).
Click HERE to find a Live Your Legend Meetup in your part of the world. And click HERE and ask to join the LYL Action and Accountability group on Facebook.
His Connect With Anyone course gives you tons of tools to help you to meet and connect with anyone, even the “big names” in your areas of interest (it’s easier than you think). The best part is that his team personally matches you with others in the course to form mastermind groups – where the real magic happens and your dreams come to life. CLICK HERE to watch a video from the course and read the FAQ’s.
What Will They Think?
Are you worried about what those nay-saying friends and family will think of you? Why?
Why does it matter what they think? Why not seek out the support of the amazing new group of people you’re now travelling with who are supporting you in your mission and ignore the opinions of anyone else?
If you succeed in your venture, the friends and family might be proud, jealous, happy or indifferent. If you don’t, they may say “told you so” or anything else. What does it matter? You can’t control what they think. It doesn’t matter.
The Art of Failing
“What if I fail?” So what!
To me, there is no such thing as failure. Your whole life is a big experiment. You try new things. If they bring you what you want, do more of that. If they don’t work out, learn from them and try something different.
If you take the time to notice, every experience teaches you a little more about yourself. Doing a little something to get yourself out of your comfort zone each week will change your life.
Everything great happens in baby steps. Take two steps, fall down, get up and take two more steps. That’s how we learn. That’s how we grow. That’s how we turn our dreams into our reality.
No Excuses
Now I’ve taken away some of your big excuses. If you’re still not taking action, what are you afraid of? What’s the worst thing that could happen?
I like to play the “worst case scenario” game when my monkey mind is firing on all cylinders to keep me from doing something that my heart tells me to do. Read about that HERE.
Whenever I play the worst case scenario game, I realize that I’ve already lived the worst things that could happen. I remind myself that, if it doesn’t kill me, it’s not that bad.
Your Future Is Up To You
Your life won’t change until you take action and change it. Take imperfect action. Don’t wait for the stars to align before doing anything.
Do something – anything – today.
Don’t wait for someone to give you permission. No one is holding you back but you.
Your “impossible” dreams are possible. With a little searching online, you can probably find someone already doing what you dream of. Find those people and reach out to them. You’ll be surprised how willingly they’ll share their knowledge and experiences with you.
All you have to do is ask.
What’s the worst that could happen?
And what will your life be like if you don’t?
What’s your next step?