One very common obstacle I see budding network marketing entrepreneurs fall victim to is NEGATIVE people. Dream stealers, energy vampires, whatever you want to call them come in all shapes and sizes and this post will help you understand and avoid them.
Common Attributes of Negative People
Negative people can certainly be strangers but more often are actual friends and family members that voice their negative opinion on your dreams, goals and how you plan on accomplishing them. Here I will give you a few breakdowns to help you cope with these types of people:
– Family members. Family members have known you your whole life and at some point placed you in a certain box. This box is usually best realized through jokes and jabs. Maybe it’s that you are lazy, stupid, a little kid, etc. This “story” they have created about you contains remnants of your past and has no relevancy on your present. The people you want and expect to support you the most are often the ones that are the most negative to you as they may have an authority relationship to you but not vice-versa. When your family members are negative people, plan on them not having any interest in your network marketing business UNTIL you have success. It is CRITICAL that you do not allow them to affect you in a negative way and that they see their jeers fall upon you harmlessly.
– Friends. Depending on the length of time you have known your friends can definitely dictate how they handle your desire for success. If they have been around you a long time and this desire for change is new, it can be quite difficult for your friends to buy into it (more on this later).
Understanding The Dream Stealers
First of all, you have to give someone permission to steal your dreams, no one truly can. Here is the reality, when you have major success in something, your life changes. You can suddenly afford more things, if you’ve done it right, your stress has decreased and life is simply more abundant. This can be very challenging to those around you. Pay attention here: The criticism of negative people are their OWN inner reflections on their life, goals and where they are in life, they are not of yours.
When you create success in your life, people around you have only two options:
1. They can go out and risk embarrassment, loss and potentially money by going after their dreams. They can choose, like you have, to put their blood, sweet and tears into some project they have always wanted to do to truly change their life as well, knowing that it could cost them time, money and again, potentially falling on their face.
2. Or, they could tear you down.
Which is the option most people will take? Which is easier? I applaud every single home business entrepreneur out there giving it a go because at least they have the chutzpa to go for it! Whether you are in my network marketing team or not, good for you for accepting that if you don’t have some form of risk in your life, you truly are not living.
Best Way to Avoid the Negative People
First of all you need to again understand that their criticisms are NOT of you, they are of themselves and what they have done with their life. You also cannot let them know they are getting to you or they receive that payoff and reward and are tempted to do more of it. If someone says to you “Boy, you’ve changed”, reply with, I sure hope so! True living is having some uncertainty in your life, going for it and not just living amongst the mediocre, delaying your dreams for some other time. Surround yourself with positive people, be understanding and OK with those that will criticize you and focus on you and your family’s dreams and pretty soon you will be living them. =)
“Life is not a dress rehearsal” – Oprah Winfrey
Here’s to your success
PS: Many thanks to Ray Higdon for the contribution to this post.
