You Don’t Need to Share Your Dreams with Everyone

There’s a well-known story about a woman who sold fax machines door-to-door for 7 years. After work, she’d rush home and toil away at a dream that struck her one evening before heading off to a party.

Unbeknownst to her family and friends she worked late into the night every day of the week for years.

Eventually, her family wanted to know what it was that had been keeping her so busy. After a year or so she finally relented sharing with her mother what’d she’d been up to.

Her mother promptly tried to talk her out of it.

That woman’s name is Sara Blakely and she is the founder of a little company called Spanx.

And by last count Mrs. Blakely is worth just over $1.14 billion.

Why did she wait so long to share an ambition that burned so passionately within?

She knew the importance of choosing her brain trust wisely.

Not Everyone Needs to Know

We don’t always, and in some cases shouldn’t, share our dreams with everyone.

Often times the people closest to us who claim to have our best interests at heart will crush a dream, or worse a spirit.

And though good intentions are usually behind their discouraging remarks there is still potential for extraordinary damage.

This may be a stretch but I believe trying to talk someone out of a dream can be a form of bullying — a tactic of projecting intimidation, doubt, and fear.

So What Do You Do?

Protect your dreams fiercely. Share your lofty goals only with like-minded people who support your vision, believe in you, and will hold you accountable to making something happen.

Support one another’s aspirations while leveraging your strengths and being a shrewd judge of your shortcomings.

If You Build it They Will Come

Create a safe community devoid of judgement where you can be vulnerable and speak openly, while being invested in the success of each member of the group.

With the RIGHT people much is possible.