“Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem. Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams…I ain’t play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards, I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars“~ Kanye West, Last Call.
As I come back to my NYC hovel, I thought I’d wax poetic on the subject of Dream Killers.
By Dream Killers, I mean people who think you can’t do it. Who question the validity of your goals. Those who tend to highlight your missteps instead of your accomplishments.
I’m not talking about the random internet thug who doesn’t know you from a can of paint! Typically Dream Killers are people you know very well. Sometimes they’re old friends. They’re frequently family! And calling them ‘Dream Killers’ doesn’t mean they’re necessarily bad people. It’s just the name for someone who somehow ‘kills your vibe,’ whether they mean to or not! Maybe they’re scared for you. Maybe they can’t see a brighter future for themselves and are projecting their insecurities onto you. Maybe they really don’t believe you can do it! Or maybe they’d prefer you take a different path.
If you encounter any of these so called Dream Killers, I want you to put your blinders on. Let them say whatever, but don’t argue. Let it go in one ear and out the other. And then you get to work, doing what your heart, dreams, and mind are set on!
I’ll give you an example, so this message doesn’t seem too opaque: when I wanted to move to Paris, my parents were not about that life! They wanted me to stay at my secure job, chug along, and get a gold watch at retirement.
Now, my parents are not bad people. They put me in the best schools, fed and clothed me, and were generally stand up parents! BUT they were afraid that I would be poor, broke, etc. And they were right: I was!
But that said, if I had listened to THEM instead of followed my dreams, I wouldn’t have accomplished what I have until this point. And they eventually changed their minds. In that case, though they are good, loving people, they were acting as Dream Killers. In those situations, you have to IGNORE THEM!
Success is not always about hard work. A lot of success is about your MENTALITY. What you ALLOW to ruffle your feathers. The negative thoughts you ALLOW to permeate, discourage you, and throw you off course.
Listen to your intuition. State your goals and CLAIM THEM. Surround yourself with people who build you up and support you (but also tell you when you’re wilin. Has to be a balance). But do your best to ignore negative thoughts.
Let your success prove them wrong. Don’t let Dream Killers take you off your path! Your career depends on it;)
xoxo,
Claire
