For every person that can help you on your way to personal and business success, there are many more that can do just the opposite – serve as big barriers that make the task that much more challenging.

There are three people in particular that you need to be wary of, because you WILL encounter them along the way.  In fact, you’ll see one EVERY DAY.

How can we move these barriers aside, and reach strongly towards our dreams?

Let’s start with Person #1.

The Naysayer

“You can’t do that!”  “Are you out of your mind!”  “No way!”   The Naysayer lives in a bizarro world where nothing gets done, every idea is silly or stupid, and resentment and jealousy are written on their sleeves. I discovered the secret to marginalizing these folks about 25 years ago – at the urging of my first boss, I eliminated the word “CAN’T” from my vocabulary.  Banished it. Cast it off. Once that’s done, an amazing thing happens – you can’t HEAR it on the outside either.  It no longer registers – it’s just there. So when I encounter the Naysayer now, it’s like the “wah wah wahs” you hear on a Peanuts cartoon.

Then, there’s Person #2, a less obvious (but just as dangerous) threat.

The “Frenenvy”

“Oh, that’s interesting…”   “Good luck with that.”   “Geez, I’d like to help, but…..”   The Frenenvy, not to be confused with the “Frenemy”, is someone you know pretty well who is content to let your dreams and ambition essentially “lie there”.  Not a Naysayer, but yet, a person that could “infect” you with the same inertia that they are exhibiting.  It’s one of those 7 deadly sins at work – envy. You are going places, and talking about it. Putting it out there.  And that can make people you know pretty nervous – not about you, but about themselves.  (I know, because earlier in my life I’ve been a Frenenvy). Envy is powerful.  So yes, they stand in your way, but in this case, these persons are your friends, so “the push aside” isn’t necessarily casting them away, or ignoring them.  It’s just that they have issues to work through, so when it comes to your dreams, they just can’t be in that particular glide path.

Which leads us to Person #3, the one you’ll deal with every day (whether you want to or not):

YOU

“I’m scared” “I’m not trusting my instinct” “What if I fail?”    That voice inside your head  -it’s dangerous. It never forgets anything, all the way back to when you messed up in Kindergarten and got called out by the teacher in front of everybody. All those embarrassments and insecurities, buried beneath your dreams. That’s the YOU you need to always be aware of, and the awareness itself it what will save you. Because your instincts ARE good, and as a dreamer, you’ve already taken some of the hardest steps. For us, it’s “coming to terms” with our fear that will keep it at arms length. I wrote a letter to fear that really helped me, and I would encourage you to do the same thing, as crazy as it sounds. Trust yourself,  and all of those internal barriers will fall away.

Here’s to success!!