Discouragement--What's The Point?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 10:29PM The other day I was talking with a friend of mine and mentioned something positive that had happened. She immediately found something negative to say about it and she said it.
It made me realize that this isn’t something rare that only she does. We all do it. We speak to the negative. We imagine every single thing that can go wrong and we give it voice and life.
We hear about something wonderful and we speak to all that can go wrong; we say that will never happen again; we come up with a million little things that put a pin in every balloon.
What is this compulsion to discourage? Why? What or who does it serve? Are you trying to protect someone from disappointment? You might as well go to the gym and do push ups so that your friend will be pumped up.
Let me tell you something that is absolutely and completely true.
Everything starts with a dream; an imagining; an idea.
Each idea is like a seedling, a tender little shoot that must be nurtured, cared for and committed to. And while it is in this tender state is when it is most vulnerable to negative comments. You can kill an idea or a dream when it is in this state.
Why do it?
Why feel compelled to point out as soon as possible the small chance of success it has; the unlikely scenario where it actually works out.
The fact of the matter is, we don’t need to be reminded that most attempts, things, restaurants, songs, books, etc fail. We actually know.
Does that mean we should not try?
And this has spilled over into politics. So many of my friends are saying what’s the use, nothing is going to change. Well guess what? They are completely right as long as they maintain that attitude.
Create an area of no possibility and that’s exactly what you get…no possibility. The fight isn’t over until you give up and stop fighting.
So when someone comes up to you and says that the friend of a friend has given their song to a friend of Lady Gaga, if you can’t say good luck, then be quiet.
We all know how slim the chances are.
But the deal is we aren’t giving up. And even though we are not giving up our dreams, it still makes it a lot harder when someone is standing behind you shooting down your efforts.
Be kind, be encouraging, be nurturing…or be quiet.
We KNOW the down side. Okay?
Reader Comments (3)
I fell in love with your boat!!! It is really cool!
And don't discourage yourself! Telling yourself those things is worse than telling them to someone else or having someone else say them to you. That's because it's become part of that internal soundtrack we all have and we believe it because why else would it be there? If you wouldn't discourage someone else, don't do it to yourself. And yes you can change the soundtrack. It just takes determination. I know :)
I knew this post was up soon after it was posted...But I didnt read it until now...Everything in it's own time...So I read this post at a time when I am trying not to be discouraged...It's tough...Really tough...But it's easy to do...To something so bad that...in my case...I just put the worst scenario out there...Cos I'm scared so scared that that will be the outcome...Last night I ...with the assistance of certain people...gave myself a reprieve...And I'm hoping again...Giving myself the opportunity to BELIEVE...To KNOW that if I nurture with as much strength as I deny...that I will get what I need...As it is mine already...Right there..I just have to reach out my hand and let it grab on...Cos that's what it wants to do...life is there always...i speak broadly...But its there waiting for the taking...No matter how many times it is denied...All we have to do is reach out and let it come to us...let it embrace us...Let us embrace it..