In life, you’re always going to seek out support and acceptance, especially from your friends and family. However, there may come a day when that dependability and approval doesn’t come with you on a new journey. Maybe it’s because those closest to you wouldn’t take that risk personally. Our attempt to “dream big” may not fit their reality of understanding; and you’re left with struggling to deny their negativity towards your new venture.
Just because you decided to think out of the box, it doesn’t mean you have to accept the negativity. If anything, rejecting it from your friends and family may very well equip you for what is to come as an entrepreneur. Pushing through the opposition, as close as it may be, will condition you to continue to work for your business despite closed doors.
So how do you get passed family and friends that are not supporting you?
Keep it to yourself. You may have that urge to argue your point, but is it really worth it? The decision you decided to make in pursuing your dream is an uncomfortable one for them, and they’ve already made up their mind not to support it. The time you put into defending your case could be placed in building up your empire.
Of course, there are times where you will share your desires with them. Keep it short and simple. Don’t go into too much detail. The less they know, the smaller the opportunity they have to shoot it down. Whatever you decide to share with your friends and family, make them aware that you know full well what you’re getting yourself into and are prepared to deal with the responsibility and consequences. In any event, let them know that their support is very much appreciated; but you will continue to pursue your dream.
Know your friends. Everybody has an opinion. Remember that when you choose your close circle of friends. You are the company you keep, after all! Surround yourself with people that want to see you succeed, not people that are hoping for you to fail. Pay attention to those that love to say, “I told you so.” Those type of people will encourage a negative attitude towards how you approach your business. Instead of pursuing your dream, you are driven by proving them wrong.
There is nothing wrong with changing your friends and atmosphere. You have to look out for your success and well-being. True friends will want to see you thrive. Focus on positivity and you will attract the same caliber of people like a moth to a flame.
Be transparent. The first person to do this with is yourself. Will you live with regret for the rest of your life if you don’t pursue your dream? Your confidence in yourself will show evident to those that aren’t supportive. They may even place your success on a timeline. They may constantly “check in” on your progress. This may not be a very obvious form of negativity. However, think about it, why would you “check in” on someone’s progress if you are not supportive of them? It will cause anxiety and pressure to set in. The intention is to trip you up, and cause you to lose confidence if the efforts aren’t paying off right away. It causes opportunity to point out your shortcomings and reasons you should quit.
While this more than likely will become your situation, take it as a way to push through opposition. This was mentioned earlier. But above all, remember that the greatest leaders failed many times before they became successful. That is because they never let any negativity keep them from becoming better at their craft and living out their dream.