“If we can’t take ownership and responsibility for our dreams, we will quickly abandon the work we’ve been commissioned to do.”
Building a brand or business takes work: plain and simple. Getting others to see the value or gift in what is being built takes even more work. However, I’ve been asking myself lately; “Should it take all of this work that we’ve been doing? Is it worth all the paces we put ourselves through to garner support and validation?”
I believe every individual on this earth desires to feel validated in some form or another, especially when it comes to their goals and dreams. To me, I feel it’s very natural, very human idea to want to feel validated. We want those who know us (even those who don’t) to cheer and champion things WE desire to achieve. In turn, many of us look to the “head nod” as it were in order to keep moving forward, in what we are pursuing. Look at it like this: Often times we use peoples opinions as a thermometer to measure the intrinsic value of our dreams.
I’ve come across an interesting phenomenon that’s been happening for quite sometime. I’ll readily admit I’ve been guilty of this myself. When we don’t have said “validation” many of us tend to take on the “me against the world” attitude or go so far as to “hold people hostage” through shame and guilt for NOT supporting us. Have you seen the memes? (lol) Or even written them yourselves? I know I have. (lol) It goes a little something like this: “Sometimes a stranger will support you before your family/friends do.” or better yet “I’ll show the world…” It’s like we are trying to kidnap people’s support at gunpoint. We almost bully people to: “Like this photo.” “Share this post.” “Purchase this item.” When it doesn’t happen the way we want, I feel like many of us withdraw, become defensive, or worse, totally abandon the dream/vision we were so invested in.
This way of thinking creates such a damaging cycle of “highs and lows” for many of us because we are so attached to opinions as if they were a true indicator to the validate what we’ve been given.
Let’s try and put things in perspective for a second. Lately I’ve been really taking ownership of these thoughts and checking my heart posture. I used to fall in that same trap for years going through the same destructive cycle of using opinions as the indicator of my worth or the worth of my dreams. Let me put it to you straight: Once you’ve been given a dream/vision to pursue by your Creator; that dream/vision is already stamped as valid. It’s already approved. It’s already worthy of acknowledgement and support. Creating from that understanding gives you a level of freedom to create without expectation. You are no longer enslaved to the opinions of others.
Now, if there are those who don’t see that worth; IT’S OK. That dream won’t die, that vision won’t lack provision. There will be those who will see it. Succumbing to holding people hostage for their support creates lazy dreamers and visionaries. If we can’t take ownership and responsibility for our dreams, we will quickly abandon the work we’ve been commissioned to do. So what if your family doesn’t support you. That goal is still valid. Put in the work to seek out those who you can introduce the value of your dream to. There are those who will immediately be able to acknowledge that value and how it can be applied to their own lives. If those you are close to see the worth later, IT’S OK. We don’t need to go into “revenge mode” trying to “prove them all wrong.”
Clarity says, “I’ve been given something special by the Creator of all things. There is room for what I’ve been given, to impact humanity.” If your mission is truly about creating value or enriching the lives of those around you, the support will come. Validation defined is: the action of making or declaring something legally or officially acceptable. God already gave you that from the moment you were born. You matter. Your dreams matter. Your vision matters. He’s the final authority. Stop looking for validation from illegitimate sources. Stop holding people hostage and let their opinions go. There’s already provision for every vision if it’s God Given.