Why You Should Pursue Your Dream Even If Nobody Encourages You

Whenever you try to make positive changes in your life, you’ll experience resistance.

Sometimes, the resistance is internal, meaning you vs. yourself.

Waking up earlier to go to the gym sucks. Much easier to press “snooze.” Politely declining that slice of pizza when your coworkers just happen to be throwing another impromptu party….agony.

Same thing with starting a business. Sometimes you put so many obstacles in your own way that you forget why you wanted to start the damn thing to begin with.

That’s all internal resistance to change. Usually, that type of resistance is actually a good sign. It means you’re stretching yourself. But along with internal resistance, you’ll also face a lot of external resistance from people around you.

From parents who tell you to “be realistic”… “I know you like dance…but are you sure you don’t want to major in computer science? Starting salary is $80,000!”

To coworkers who tell you that you should just be happy for even having a job…“OMG in THIS economy??!!”

To friends who mock you, discourage you, or don’t even take the time to listen to you.

This is all external resistance. If you let these people affect your decisions, the results can be disastrous. Here’s the truth: People who criticize you, overlook you or belittle you for doing what you love don’t actually understand your “why.”

They don’t understand why your passions, dreams and desires are so important to you. And that’s OK. It’s perfectly OK to live a life that others don’t understand.

It’s perfectly OK to choose a career that isn’t “normal.”

It’s perfectly OK to stay up all night, working on something that you care about, even if it isn’t even making you money right now.

It’s perfectly OK to be the freak, the misfit, the outcast.

The only thing that isn’t OK is giving up your unique personality or hiding your gifts because someone else shamed you into shrinking from your potential.

So today, go out and live life on your own terms. In due time, all the people who mocked you will go from disparaging you to asking, “Hey… how’d you do that?”

And all you’ll be able to do is grin.

This article originally appeared on Enterpreneur.com

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