Welcome to this week’s capsules. Last week we rounded up on failure, the fifth factor to be considered when building confidence to pursue your dream. This week, we will be looking at the sixth factor, quite similar to last week. It is Managing Derogatory Statements.

Like I shared in one of our previous capsules, small minds don’t understand what great minds do and so a lot of times they will attempt to discourage, dissuade and even distract you from living your dream(s). I was at the just concluded Live Your Dream Africa event held two Saturdays back and one thing the key note speaker Mr. Cosmos Maduka (CEO Coscharis Group) said which struck a chord in me was this ‘’If you want to succeed, if you truly desire to succeed, you must be willing to be misunderstood’’

Quite a number of times, you will be misunderstood when you take certain steps in the pursuit of your dreams and you will be talked down by many who do not understand particularly loved ones. Sometimes it is born out of genuine love and care they have for you. In their shallowness, they believe that you are taking a wrong step but guess what? They are most times sincerely wrong! Preparing for comments like ‘’what do you think you are doing?’’ ‘’ How do you intend to achieve this?’’ ‘’ This can never work.’’ ‘’ You boast a lot.’’ ‘’ Where has this led you now?’’ ‘’You are about to make the worst move of your life’’. ‘’You are a failure’’ and so on. Statements like this can deter you and can largely affect your self-confidence. This happens when you do not prepare for them ahead of time.

Mr. Maduka at Live your dream Africa also narrated how while driving one day, he had said that before he turned twenty four, he was going to be a millionaire. His said his mum immediately reprimanded him, claiming he was too boastful and that she was tired of his bragging. He repeated the statement and she warned that if he as much as said that again, she would get out of his car. This time he didn’t just repeat himself but bellowed it loud and parked for his mum to get down if she still wanted to.

A lot of times many people who do not understand your dream will try to talk you down. Prepare for derogatory statements in the cause of your pursuit because they will come. If you’re not prepared for them, you may lack the confidence to forge ahead with your dreams at such times. Next week, we will be looking at more practical cases and how those affected maneuvered these energy sapping comments

Punch line, the same people who will speak ill of your misunderstood actions will gladly identify with you when you have arrived.

I’m a Communications Intelligence Consultant with an eye for Creative Presentation. I Speak… I Inspire… I Train… I Anchor events

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