“The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself every way he can, never suspecting that anybody wishes to hinder him. Allow me to assure you that suspicion and jealousy never did help any man in any situation. There may sometimes be ungenerous attempts to keep a young man down; and they will succeed, too, if he allows his mind to be diverted from its true channel to brood over the attempted injury. Cast about and see if this feeling has not injured every person you have ever known to fall into it.” –Abraham Lincoln
Everyone has the potential to do something extraordinary. Everything you need to succeed in life is open to you the minute you enter this world; it’s all just what you make of it. Beyond that, you can’t let others get in the way of your success. Whether they intend to or not, the people we surround ourselves with make a huge impact on us. If you surround yourself with the kind of people you want to become, then you never have to be suspicious or suspect that they wish to harm you. If you surround yourself with people that have no inspiration or encouragement, then you will become distracted from your ultimate goals. I have been wanting to transition into a healthier lifestyle. I have been trying to surround myself with people that also find this a worthy goal. I can’t keep going if the people around me are holding me back or don’t have the same visions as I do for moving forward not being idle.
Not only was Lincoln referring to the company we keep, but he was also giving advice on how to handle when others do get you down. There is no time to cry over spilt milk. Learn from the experience and move on so you don’t lose any more time to those that wish to keep you from your goals. Try and try again is all you can do. No dwelling on the past and failures. You can’t move forward if you are looking behind. In today’s language, “don’t let the haters get you down”. Focus on the goal and PERSEVERE the obstacles. Keep your eye on the prize and not on the people behind.
What are your goals and what’s holding you back? If there are people who don’t believe in you, how do you forgive and move on for your sake? Never forget this, everyone has the opportunity to do something extraordinary out of the ordinary. You have the ability to leave a legacy, DON’T LET ANYONE DENY YOU THIS RIGHT.