Why can’t they believe?
by Sally ~ December 3rd, 2009. Filed under: Living Your Dream, creating a life you love, creative-entrepreneur.
This is from a Dear Sally column in my ezine answering questions from clients and subscribers.
Dear Sally,
How can I stay excited about my dreams when my family and friends don’t believe in me?
Signed,
Why can’t they believe?
Dear why can’t they believe?,
Dreams can be fragile, especially at the beginning and need to be handled with care. Sometimes, it’s really best to keep them to yourself or only share them with someone you know that won’t shoot them down.
There can be a variety of reasons that family and friends don’t share your vision.
Sometimes they think they are protecting you from getting hurt if things don’t work out the way you hoped.
Sometimes they are jealous that they don’t have a similar passion.
Sometimes they are afraid of how your dream will affect them and their relationship with you. Maybe they feel you won’t have time for them.
It may seem they don’t believe in you, when in reality it’s their own concerns and worries that get in the way of them supporting you in the way you’d like.
You might have to build your “dream muscles” and allow them to get stronger before you share them. Here are a few ideas to do that.
Know why you want that dream. Write about it, think about it, and daydream. Does it resonate with your core values and the things you hold dear?
Find images, create drawings, or doodles that help you to get clear about what you want.
Read and listen to things that keep you inspired.
Find support along the way. You may need to find artists, entrepreneurs, friends, a coach, or others who understand and encourage you.
The more you feel a deep connection with your dream that stirs your soul, you will believe that you can do it, and be willing to meet the challenges along the way.
In the long run, as you believe in yourself, and take small steps and actions toward your dream, no one will be able to take that away from you.
Usually your family and friends will come around once they see your dream is happening. For them, sometimes they have to see it before they can believe it. For you, you need to believe it before you see it!
