It all started on Feb 26th, 2015. I was told my career in bowling was over. The truth is, what other people tell you is their opinion. YOU ultimately decide what happens based on how you react to it. I want you to remember that. Don't let anyone stop you from chasing your dream.
Achieving your dream isn't easy. Like most things, you will encounter obstacles along the way. People will bash you, talk down to you, and turn their back on you the moment they no longer need you. Some will be racist, attempt to discredit, try to intimidate, and work to harm you. The worst part is, some of these people may be the ones you helped out and supported when they had nothing. Some of them you thought were your friends.
Remember that their actions are a reflection of them and their character. They may be unhappy with their own life, scared of you or jealous to see you succeed at something they couldn't. Encountering situations like this is part of the journey and you should absolutely not treat them the same way in return. Karma is real. I was once told that I was going to be run out of money and put out of business by someone I thought was a friend. They were wrong. I didn't run out of money and I kept going. If you keep going and surround yourself with the right kind of people. It has a way of working itself out.
See, where you focus your energy matters and what you focus on expands.
If you are focused on helping others. The right people will take notice. They will begin to follow your journey, encourage you, support you and defend you. People who see your passion and have the ability to open doors, will. If you just keep going and don't give up, you will find that some of your biggest supporters may even come from people who live in a different country or speak a different language. Karma is real.
So don't let a teacher, lawyer, hater, boss, or even a CEO stop you or tell you what you can't achieve. Remember they don't know. Whatever happened to them doesn't have to stop you. You may end up with more than you thought possible. So keep going. Search for solutions, focus on the goal, build a plan on how to get there. Become creative when an obstacle is in front of you. In the end, that can be the difference between being laid off from the building you used to work in and owning it.
I'm grateful for the family, friends, and staff that have helped us along the way. Yes, I'm even grateful for the ones that were rooting against me. You can use that as motivation to succeed. Success is a delicate combination of support, timing, and opportunity.
Lately, I have seen so many people give up on their dream because of Covid or what someone else has done or said to them. Today I wanted to share a little of my journey to say: It doesn't have to be that way. No matter how big or small the dream or goal is, the key is you to keep going. When it gets too hard, remember that there are people cheering for you. The ones who aren't cheering for you are another reason to succeed.
I am cheering for you as well. Look for the positive side of things and keep going. It sounds crazy but sometimes one of the worst days of your life is actually setting you up for some of your best.