It’s Time To Take The Masks & The Gloves Off. Arguably, adulting is realizing that the world is playing zero games with you!!!!
Arguably, Laozi is wrong when he says that people are for themselves, rather than against us. Firstly, some people are definitively for themselves and against us.
Such people see the world as being a place where there can only be one winner (them). They are playing a zero sum game where there is no such thing as a win/win.
It’s Time To Get Real & Use Reality, As Motivation.
Lastly, if people being for themselves in practice, means they act in exactly the same manner, as if they were against you. The end result is that their behaviour and actions are identical to those of someone that is against you. Therefore, you are well within your rights, to interpret their behavior as such.
We can sometimes find ourselves having a challenging time achieving our goals with seemingly so many people around who are diametrically opposed to us being successful. Despite the popularity of the saying, that people are for themselves, as opposed to against you.
The truth is, (some, or many) people are both!!!! They are opposed to you and for themselves. They have main character syndrome in the worst way. The kind of way where they behave as though they are the only ones who are supposed to shine or create progress.
Let The Truth Set You Free.
Rather than run or hide from this ugly truth, embrace it. Make peace with the fact that your progress, disturbs other people’s peace. In fact, as Deepak Chopra would advise, we should lean into uncertainty.
Or, to be more specific, we should lean into the idea of making people mad. Arguably, life is all about the impact that we have on others. To be more specific and give this a name, arguably life is about having a positive impact on others. Or as Mungi Ngomane, (the author of Everyday Ubuntu, Living Better Together, The African Way) would say, life is all about Ubuntu.
However, there is no pleasing everybody. Whilst some will be inspired by your passion and life’s work. Others will be offended by your aspirations. No amount of dimming your light, politeness or anything else, will make them behave well towards you.
Therefore, for your own sake the best thing you can do is give up the impossible battle of trying to please them. Accept that some will never be pleased and instead, lean into your ability to please or displease people. In fact, in the same way that Ubuntu is evidence of you doing something right. Having haters is arguably evidence of you doing something right too.
Grit & Resilience, Are A Must.
In the same way that some adversity is unavoidable. In order to achieve an exceptional level of success. Resilience, is a must. So too is embracing the hate.
Being able to use the hate to motivate you to achieve even more greatness. Is what champions do. Even the hate, will make you great-er.
Moreover, some haters, only hate greatness. They are okay, even pleasant, to people that lack drive or ambition. They see no threat from these people, because these people make no impact, effect no change and/or do nothing to outshine them. However, anybody seeking to be the best they can be and impact the world positively, will be guilty of potentially doing all three things.
Which is precisely why expecting some haters to stop hating one day, is unlikely. Which is precisely why you need to take both the mask and the gloves off.
To you, such people are perfect strangers. Seen from this perspective, how could they be your enemies? However, they are your enemies – based off of principle.
Take It Personal But Keep It All Business.
It is nothing personal. It’s the fact that you want, to be your best self and have the greatest positive impact, on the world. It is these principals of yours. That make them your enemy.
Since it is nothing personal. Keep it that way. Also, keep your focus on your life’s mission and work. Give up trying to please everybody and enjoy what peace, doing so brings you.
Lastly, take off the mask and the gloves. Let the world feel the full force of nature that is you. If some haters are going to hate on you undeservedly, unreservedly.
Use this reality, to motivate you to be unreserved with how you go about living, creating and working. The only thing you should be saving for tomorrow, is adequate sleep time. A big part of being your best self and doing your best, is getting enough sleep.
After you’ve organized this, throw caution to the wind and throw all of yourself, into what you do. One of the greatest things about Kobe Bryant is that he set sky high goals and got the most out of his similarly, sky high potential.
Now it is on you and the rest of us who are still alive, to follow in his footsteps and make the most of the potential we have. The goals that we aim for should be sky high. We should do our best and aim for the best. Knowing that it is only then, that we can expect to experience the best, of what life has to offer.
So, again, it is time to take the mask and the gloves off. However, forget the haters. Take the mask and the gloves off, for, you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!