CHAT OVER CHAI
BREAKING THROUGH YOUR COMFORT ZONE :
IGNORE THE NAYSAYERS
SEE ABOVE : Our inspiration, the Hindu goddess Kali – super fierce, destroyer of demons, liberator of souls.
(Right image photo credit : Manjari Sharma)
WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO BREAK THROUGH/OBLITERATE YOUR COMFORT ZONE ?
Because the stakes of NOT obliterating it are really, really high.
HOW HIGH? MOST COMMON REGRET OF THE DYING:
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.” – Bonnie Ware
soooooo………
What’s holding on you back?
Could it be that you don’t want to disappoint or ruffle the feathers of someone else?
Could it be that you’re afraid of the unknown?
Could it be that you just don’t believe that your dreams are possible? They are insurmountable? You’re not good enough to get what you want?
OR
Could it be that every time you actually start to believe in your dream + share your ideas with others, they shoot them down??
The latter was one of my biggest obstacles in creating WORK+SHELTER. Here’s how I conquered this issue : IGNORED THEM!
WHO ARE THEY?
Naysayers are anyone who discredits your abilities or dumps on your dreams.
Yep, you heard that right – ANYONE. Family / friends / coworkers / bosses / the neighbor you occasionally enjoy a cup of chai with … if their response to your endeavors is anything less than supportive, they should go at the top of your IGNORE list.
Everyone has their own opinion about what you should do with your life.
When I started WORK+SHELTER there were discouraging words around every corner. EVERYONE told me not to start my business.
A few of the most popular nay-sayings I heard were…
You’re too young.
You need to focus on yourself and your career.
You need to be wealthy before you can do work like this.
How will a young American woman run a business overseas?
And then of course there was the, “Poor Indian women don’t want to work” – where have you heard that rhetoric before?
But I ignored them. Each + every one.
I followed my instincts. I continued fighting for my dream.
+ as it often turns out … the naysayers were all wrong.
TRUST YOUR OWN INTERNAL COMPASS.
If you need to be deviant to live a life that’s more authentic for you, you’ve got to do it.
When you have the vision, and you can see the unseen – you have a business idea – you’re actually a superhero of sorts!
It’s not your fault that everyone can’t see your vision … though you have to practice explaining it. It’s not because they think you’re incapable + it’s not even necessarily about you.
They likely just have a different paradigm + prioritize different values, OR they simply want to protect you, as many of my naysayers did.
You can’t necessarily blame them for that … but you absolutely CAN ignore them!
Here’s an amazing poem by Mary Oliver, (with my own bits of emphasis on some favorite lines!), to remind us all of the importance in ignoring naysayers.
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.
-Mary Oliver
“BE YOUR OWN YES – SAYER !” – Wonder Woman
Sometimes, when I need to give myself a little perspective on whether my newest idea is crazy or not, (because people will tell me I’m crazy), I remember that …
Someone went to outer space over 50 years ago. Before color TV. Long before the internet.
It puts things in perspective.
Oh, is it possible for me to run my tiny little center in India? Yeah, probably.
People have done things that are a lot harder, and a lot more complicated.
So PLEASE take a cue from the Kali goddess, and destroy your demons – a.k.a. IGNORE THE NAYSAYERS – they don’t know better.
YOU know better. (Unless they are a really smart business coach – then maybe you should listen.) 😉
NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU !!
Please message us to share your naysayer stories, popular nay-sayings, + dreams you need to hear YES-Sayings to!
AND don’t forget to keep up with us over at WORK+SHELTER!
Follow our Instagram + Facebook + Twitter, and join our awesome e-mail list by signing up below.
Thanks so much for reading + sharing. Until next time, be well! xo, Theresa
{images used under license of Shutterstock.com}
