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How many times have you abandoned an idea, project or dream because someone made a disparaging remark or rolled their eyes when you told them about it?

Relinquishing your dreams

All too frequently we allow others to dictate what is good, right or possible. We allow them to steal our dreams. Notice I use the word "allow." No one can put you down, stomp on your dream, or kill an idea of yours unless you allow them to.

Consider that:

The movie Star Wars was rejected by every movie studio in Hollywood before 20th Century Fox finally produced it. It went on to be one of the largest-grossing movies in film history.

As a child, Sylvester Stallone was frequently beaten by his father and told he had no brains. He grew up an unhappy loner. He floated in and out of schools. An advisor at Drexel University told him that based on his aptitude tests he should pursue a career as an elevator repair person. It's not a bad profession but it's certainly not where "Rocky" ended up!

Einstein was criticized for not wearing socks or cutting his hair. He didn't speak until he was four, and didn't read until he was seven. One observer noted, "He could be mentally retarded".

An expert said of Vince Lombardi:"He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation. . .

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher proclaimed him hopeless as a composer.

Walt Disney was fired from his job as a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he created Disneyland.

Henry Ford failed and went broke 5 times before he finally succeeded.

Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, was encouraged to find work as a servant or seamstress. She would certainly never be a writer.

In 1944, the director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency told modeling hopeful Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe), "You'd better learn secretarial work, or else get married."

It Takes Courage

So what are your ideas? Your thoughts? Your dreams? Your plans?

It doesn't matter if anyone supports what you want to do. The important thing is for YOU to believe. For YOU to ignore the people who say you can't do it - and DO IT ANYWAY! It takes courage. It takes persistence. It takes believing in the "voice inside" when no one else does. Ideas, dreams and visions are planted within you because you have the ability to make them happen. You'll learn, grow, scramble, fail, and get back up again! The important thing is to simply never give up. The people I mentioned earlier never gave up - and they made great things happen!