Your Vision > Their Opinions

It can really hurt when the people you love do not support your next goal. You might expect encouragement and instead receive doubt, confusion or dismissive comments. That can make you question yourself and wonder if you are aiming too high.

In this episode of the She Trusts Herself podcast, I talk about what to do when you are surrounded by people who are not supportive of your goals and how to keep moving forward anyway.

When Their Perception Does Not Match Your Potential

When I first experienced this, I felt disappointed. These were people who loved me and I thought knew me. I realised that their reaction was not a reflection of my capability. It was a reflection of their perception of me and what they believed was possible.

I had to sit with the emotions that came up. I did not want to let them down, but I also did not want to let myself down. Eventually I decided I would rather disappoint someone else by achieving my goals than disappoint myself by not trying at all.

Their doubt does not belong to you. You do not have to carry it or let it limit you.

Protecting Your Goals From Unhelpful Input

If you are surrounded by people who are not supportive, it might be worth limiting how much you share with them about your goals. Big goals already come with challenges. You do not need extra resistance from people who cannot see your vision.

Otherwise you can end up spending more time and energy trying to convince others you are capable than actually working on the goal itself. Your why can get tangled up in proving a point instead of coming from a place that feels true for you.

It does not mean you have to cut people out of your life. It might simply mean you share certain parts of your journey with different people.

Finding People Who Can Hold Your Vision

It makes a huge difference when you have people in your corner who believe in you. They might not be able to do the work for you, but they can remind you of what you are capable of when you start to doubt yourself.

There will be moments where you think, "Why am I even doing this?" If the people around you say, "Yeah, maybe you should give up," it becomes much easier to walk away. If they say, "You are just in a hard stage. You can do this," you are more likely to keep going.

Look for people who are where you are, a few steps ahead or have achieved something similar. Look for people who can celebrate your evolution instead of trying to keep you in an old version of yourself.

Actionable Tips For Navigating Unsupportive People

• Separate perception from reality: Remember that their doubts reflect their view of you, not your actual potential.
• Limit access to your goals: Share your plans with people who can hold them with care, not criticism.
• Share after, not during: Consider telling certain people about your achievements once they are done, not while you are in progress.
• Find your support crew: Seek out friends, mentors or communities who believe in your growth.
• Reconnect with your why: Make sure you are pursuing your goal for reasons that feel true to you, not to prove others wrong.
• Choose self trust: Remind yourself that you would rather back yourself than stay small to keep others comfortable.

Listen And Go Deeper

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify here:
She Trusts Herself - Episode 6

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube here:
She Trusts Herself - Episode 6

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