Dont Let People Hold You Back

Dont Let People Hold You Back Weve all been there, havent we? You know, staring down the barrel of what could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Part of us is telling us to  go for it; to  invest every morsel of energy into making it work. Run Forest, run! The other part is telling us not to be so ridiculous; err on the side of caution, dont risk everything for something that could be nothing. Now, I know its important to be a responsible adult, but Im also a big believer in taking chances and  pursuing  what makes you happy; lifes too short not to. Unfortunately the latter is a lot easier said than done, thanks to not only your own nerves and hesitations, but also the negative influence of others.  No matter where you are, sooner or later youll run into someone who tries to  break your hope and bring you down. If holding you back was a sport, theyd be elite. Say nay to the naysayers Even if naysayers in our lives are notorious for dampening moods and we know what theyre capable of, its terribly hard to resist second-guessing ourselves every time they work their magic on us.  Before you give into self doubt, try to understand where their negativity is coming from. In most cases, it will have absolutely nothing to do with you or your opportunity, and everything to do with them. Jealousy Weve all heard about  Tall Poppy Syndrome.  Run a simple Google search on  any high achieving celebrity and it wont take long to notice the trail of trolls  dragging their names through the mud. When people are insecure inside, they like to drag others down around them; misery loves company. If someones trying to hold you back from  taking a huge step into the unknown, are you sure they arent just  doing it  because they dont want to see you get ahead and achieve greater things than them? Fear Some people are so scared of what could go wrong, that they never give themselves a chance at getting things oh-so-right. People who hold themselves back for this reason are likely to project their damning views on other people. These people live life afraid, and shut themselves off to amazing possibilities. Regret Others will try to warn you away from risky opportunities because theyve had a bad experience in the past or theyve been burned in a similar situation. Their fear has been realised; their confidence and daringness to dream ended up costing them money, dignity and a long list of other things.  They made a scary decision and it backfired; that doesnt mean youll suffer the same fate. If everyone lived  by other peoples warnings, no one would ever venture outside of their comfort zones and achieve great things. If youre really serious about pursuing your dreams and advancing to new heights in your career, youll need to think carefully about how you nurture  your ambition. Here are my three top tips to help you stay on  an optimistic track: 1. Dont give too much away You should feel proud to project your  passions and pursuits to the world,  but remember, the  more information you give  negative people, the more ammunition theyll have to throw against you. If you believe in yourself, just back yourself. Dont open yourself up to  unnecessary mockery or doubtful speculation; itll only bring you down. 2. Hang around like-minded individuals Positive people who like to transcend boundaries and better themselves, are way better comrades for boosting your drive. Surrounding yourself with people who pump you up will be extra valuable in helping to reiterate why youre pursuing the amazing things on your horizon. 3. Dont put too much pressure on yourself Think about Steve Jobs. We all know of the public entrepreneurial plight he suffered before making it as a mastermind inventor in the technology space. If he had have given up after his first failure,  life for us all would be so different. Dont put too much pressure on yourself; if you take a leap of faith and it backfires, then so be it.  At least you tried and wont live life wondering what if.