0
We had a family outing at the movies yesterday. We saw Night At The Museum. Battle of the Smithsonian.
It was a great movie. One thing really stood out to me though.
The story opens with Ben Stiller’s character Larry Daley as the CEO/founder of his own successful company. He has come a long way since becoming a night guard.
What was interesting was how much his former boss had despised him because of his success. Larry had not treated the guy badly or acted as if he were better than anyone else. But the guy was obviously bitter over Larry’s success while he had not progressed.
Unfortunately this happens way too often. It’s a shame that people can be treated so badly when they have the courage and tenactiy to go after their dreams. It’s scary enough as it is but when you don’t have a support system. But it’s even worse when your support system goes sour on you.
This is what causes too many people to quit or not even try in the first place. Peer pressure can be a horrible thing.
I used to be an obscenely shy person so when I decided to try public speaking people scoffed at me. When I started succeeding and winning awards for it some of those people acted as if they hated me for it. They would say things such as, “I bet Mr. big time public speaker will do it. He can do anything now.” But at the same time a lot of people were proud of me.
It would have been really easy to quit when people started saying things like that to me. But I was starting to have some success and that would have only hurt me and held me back.
One of the prices of success is that some people who settle for the status quo will resent you for it. Not all of them but it can only take one person, maybe a neighbor, a sibling , a coworker or a best friend, to say a few unkind words and it will be enough to make people quit or not even try at all.
Don’t let this happen to you. Expect it but perservere through it.