We Have All Met the Dream Crushers

I don’t know why some people believe that it is their right to be a dream crusher. I don’t know if they think they are being helpful, or if they think that they are being realistic. Maybe the dream crushers out there don’t want to see you spend all of your time, money and resources on a dying idea. I am not sure the reasoning behind people constantly trying to put a negative spin on every dream that you have.  I think we all have met the dream crushers. You know who I am talking about! You know, the people who are telling you that you will never make it, that you won’t ever make a profit, that your idea is stupid and you won’t ever be a global brand. Sometimes, these dream crushers are people you can avoid. There will be the haters that see you on occasion, but oftentimes the haters can be friends or family. It’s extremely hard to hear negative thoughts from people that are supposed to love and support you unconditionally! Don’t listen to these haters! They are just dream crushers. They may be convinced that they are trying to help you from failing, but what they are doing is stopping your from succeeding!

Sometimes the biggest dream crushers are our parents. They have “been around the block” and they have seen many businesses fail. They know the struggles that new entrepreneurs face and they know the statistics. They know that 50% of all new businesses fail within the first five years. Your parents love you more than anybody else and they don’t want you to ever fail. It would kill them if they had to watch you waste all of your money, resources and sanity on a dying business. They would much rather have you go through school and get a secure job than risk it all for an idea. Parents don’t mean to be dream crushers, they are trying to protect you. They don’t realize that by being dream crushers they are possibly inhibiting you from your full potential.

Our whole lives we have been told we aren’t smart enough, we aren’t sharp enough, we aren’t pretty enough and we aren’t charming enough. We have heard it our entire lives, where people are constantly telling us what we can and cannot do. Well, I would like to tell you something. You CAN do whatever you put your mind to. You CAN be whoever you want to be. You CAN achieve your goals. Your dreams are not out of reach.  Throughout your life you have sometimes believed in the haters. They told you that you were not smart enough and you believed them. They told you that you weren’t pretty enough and you believed them. They told you that you would never succeed and you believed them. It is now time to stop believing in your haters and start believing I n yourself. Stop thinking that your haters are right, because they are wrong! You are whatever you want to be!

I know it might be hard to stop believing in your dream crushers. It may especially be difficult if those dream crushers are people that you love and respect. Tell them that are being a dream crusher. Tell them that they are trying to stop you from succeeding. Tell them that you would love their support, but you will be successful with or without them. Your whole life you have been told what you were going to become. People have told you who you are.  They have told you your faults, they have labeled you and have declared that you would never be an employer but an employee. Don’t let your haters be your dictators.