I’ve been really excited recently about a new project I have been thinking of. So much so, that although I was planning on keeping it to myself, I have been blabbering about it everywhere I go. I love that feeling of being really inspired and wanting share whatever it is with the world. Feelings like that don’t come along every day so I really try to embrace them when they do.
The only problem has been that not everybody I tell has been as excited as me about the project. Actually, many of them have not been supportive of it at all – trying to tell me I should not do it. That can be pretty heartbreaking when you have been vulnerable and put yourself out there. I’m sure most of you know the feeling.
Instead of getting really down about it as I probably would have in the past, I looked at this whole situation from a more objective point of view and it made me realise three main things: other people’s fears are not my own; people should know their boundaries; and there are many people who are not as naturally positive or supportive as me.
Often when people tell you not to do something, it’s for fear of a bad result. That fear is their own though. It doesn’t need to become yours as well. Perhaps you have thought the situation through and are completely fine with all the possible outcomes. Maybe you are one who likes to take risks. Maybe you don’t view any outcome as ‘bad’, but simply a lesson that you can take something away from.
In most cases, people will probably tell you not to do something because they care about you and don’t want to see you get hurt. Their heart is in the right place, but they don’t actually have any place in telling you how to live your life. When they try and persuade you to act differently to how you would like to, they are overstepping their boundary. Non one has any right to tell you how to live your life, just as you don’t have any right to tell anyone else.
Not everyone puts as much effort into making themselves happy or dealing with their shit. Many people in the world are angry and unhappy. These people are not horrible. They probably have no idea how much negativity they emit, that they are project their own fears on to you, or that they are crossing the line in telling you how to act.
Luckily for me, I was not swayed by those who were not supportive of my project. In fact, the whole scenario has made me realise how strong I actually am. I am sticking to my guns man. I am not going to shrink into some powerless, meek version of myself in order to appease others. I am not going to be ashamed of who I am or what inspires me.
Stay tuned for some big announcements over the next few months….