3 things to remember when your loved ones don’t support your dreams
Whether that change is a new career, lifestyle choice, health change or relationship decision. Sometimes we don’t receive the full support, encouragement or level of understanding that we hoped for or needed from the one’s that we love. Leaving us feeling disappointed, unenthusiastic and questioning our decision.
Happiness is a choice, and so you must choose to do and believe what empowers you. Choose to do and believe only the things that move you towards your goals. Do not do or believe anything, no matter how true it might be, that moves you AWAY from your goals.
A lot of people go through the motions in life, not doing what they love. They end up constantly looking back, asking themselves, “What if?”
Whether people support you or not, do you really want to look back in regret one day down the line? To not know what could have happened if you tried to do what you really wanted to do? 
This love of yours is one of the most important things in your life. Follow your heart, and not the words of others just to live up to their expectations.
Open Up, Instead of Closing Down
The experience of feeling unsupported is never a nice one. And often, we shut down instead of opening up when we experience it. However, more often than not, the worst thing you can do is hide away what you’re doing, because it only separates you further from them!
Let them know that you are also scared (and excited!) and that you don’t have it all worked out. Share what you’re doing in order to keep the dialogue open. Do not let it become the “elephant in the room.” If you do, it will simply become a breeding ground for resentment on both sides.
And besides, what’s the point of attempting to do something you love if you can only show your love for it in certain areas of your life?! It simply doesn’t work long-term.
Include Them in Your “Why”
People who don’t support you and discourage your actions and dreams are not usually intentionally out there to crush your ambitions. More often than not, it’s just because you haven’t actually taken the time to share your “why” with them and so they truly don’t understand what it is you are doing. They don’t understand your intentions. They haven’t been informed of why you wanted to change yourself or your life in the first place—why it’s important to you—and so they voice their concerns (usually from a place of love). It makes total sense!
It usually leads to them making up their own stories about why you are doing this—often they decide it’s because you’re not happy with your life, or that they are not enough for you, etc.…
Have you ever become really angry with someone’s behavior and actions, only to feel like a jerk once they share the real and true reason behind their actions?
Being ill-informed and making assumptions is simply a recipe for disaster, especially when it comes to relationships. So don’t allow those close to you to make up stories of their own about what you’re really doing and why.
If you can lead with compassion, hear them fully without defending, and then share your “why,” you have a much greater chance of disarming the situation and even inspiring them to start to see things from your perspective.
Now we’re not saying that once you share your “why” that they will suddenly be on board, but at least you have honored them with the time and care to open up and be honest. You simply can’t do more than that. The rest is up to them.
So, what should you do if no one supports you? Just keep on going but at the same time, look at your results, your achievements and really think about if you’re doing the right thing with your business. Are you doing the right thing in terms of what you’re focusing your attention on and spending your time on?
Choose to focus your time, energy and conversation around people who inspire you, support you and help you to grow you into your happiest, strongest, wisest self!
