“Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “You Owe Me.” Look at what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky.”
Not only in the world of business, but also in the grand scheme of things, in order to thrive in today’s society – you have to grow a thick skin. In most instances, we do live in a world that can provide ample negative energy. And if all you do is – dwell on that – you basically become a weaker person and move further away from your goals. Countless times, I’ve heard people tell me that I was going to fail or that I shouldn’t do X, Y or Z (I’ve got plenty of those examples in my book, The Dream). Or, more or less distract me from the end game, which was pursuing something I really wanted to do (let that be in business or personal).
So, one of the things I did very early on in life is grow a very thick skin. Some people live in a world of pessimism and that translates to the negative energy they exude. I like to live in a world of optimism – which is if I believe I want to do something – I’m not going to let anyone stop me for doing it. Criticism can be great, but only when used as a filter to help make decisions. Passion dictates the rest.
Positivity is a form of passion that conquers any battle. One of my favorite quotes is, “Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “You Owe Me.” Look at what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky.” This is what positive energy does, it can light up your life with success.
This independence leads to confidence, which becomes the only voice that matters. I encourage all of you to follow your heart’s desire on any matter – and never let anyone stop you from doing what you love. It might be painful – but after a while – the skin becomes thick enough to handle anything.
Take a look at billionaire, J.K. Rowling, one of the most successful authors in the world. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was rejected 12 times and was told “not to quit her day job.”
So, grow a thick skin—a very thick skin. People will question your ability to succeed, and the loudest among them might make you doubt your own talents, so you’ll need a thick skin to drown out the noise. The silence will help you focus on your objective, and you will prevail.
That worked for me.