The proven strategy for persevering and following your dream

The proven strategy for persevering and following your dreamThe proven strategy for persevering and following your dreamOne of the toughest things for us to do in life is to admit when were wrong. My Mom would tell me growing up, her father?- ?my grandfather?- ?used to say, It takes a big man (or woman) to admit when he/she is wrong and apologize. Many of us are often wrong and dont even know it. Or worse yet, we do know it and we continue to plod on, committing deliberate actions that hurt ourselves and others.But what about when were right?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen were right, there are really two options. We believe were right or we dont. Dig a little deeper and youll understand the essential difference between these two outcomes Believing were right and acting accordingly is what will make us great. Doubting ourselves while acting upon the right thing is perhaps t he fruchtwein dangerous, self-inflicted damage we can do to our psyche.Clearly, were working on getting to the right mindset and doing the right thing. Easier said than done, right? Not really. These two things require the two qualities that are always within our control attitude and effort. Its here that we develop the realization that we have the power to move forward. That we actually can create our own destiny. This is the best strategy and mindset to adopt to get what we want in life.Your PersonalStoryOne of the toughest things Ive ever wrestled with as a human, business professional and writer, welches believing that other people cared about my personal story. It took me a long time to realize that others did. Part of it was fear of the unknown. I might be rejected. Others might criticize me Oh, the horror.Sounds crazy, doesnt it?Or does it? Because Ive found thats the problem that so many of us have. We create this chasmIN OUR MINDSthat putting ourselves out there?- ?in whate ver we do?- ?is so difficult, purely because we fear what others might say.Thats the excruciating damage of self-inflicted negative thinking. It is insidious, destructive and limiting. It blocks us from a path that is likely the one we are meant to travel?- ?whatever our occupation, passion or interest is.The power of putting ourselves out there, telling ourrealstory and feeling confident doing so, is one of the secrets to living a purposeful life.While the local and national nachrichten paint a picture of dread, despair and angst, the truth is that the world and its citizens?- ?the vast majority of them?- ?are kind, loving, empathetic people who care about others.Ive found that many of the people here in theMediumcommunity are precisely such people. Ive been blessed both digitally and in person to meet some extraordinarily caring, genuine people in my life that have taken an interest in me.Ive learned through networking (Yikes, that ugly word) that taking a chance on a conversation with someone will bring happiness, new ideas and fun to our lives. We have the opportunity over a cup of coffee or meal to genuinely show an interest in getting to know others, while they do the same with us.We get to put our ideas and stories out there in public, to hopefully gain some new supporters and believers?- ?people willing to go to bat for us as we pursue our dreams. Its this first step that is absolutely essential to building and persevering in our strategy and continuing to follow our dream. Without this, without believing in ourselves and taking a chance, we cannot live the life we want.The FountainheadI want to tell the story of the great author, Ayn Rand, and her effort to publish her bestselling novel,The Fountainhead. As a matter of fact?- ?I was further brought to read her novels by many of you who commented on my post about the 15 books that helped to shape my mind.Ayn Rands classic,The Fountainhead,was rejected by a whopping 12 publishers before the Bobbs-Merril l Company decided to take a chance on this, unsaleable and unpublishable, book. At least those were the famous last words of one mighty foolish publisher.12 rejectionsWhat mattered and helped Rands cause was an inspiring review from the New York TimesYou will not be able to read this masterful book without thinking through some of the basic concepts of our time.If only we all were so fortunate. Yet words like those tend to be gifted toward individuals who create art that transcends their time and generations thereafter. From there, the flight ofThe Fountainheadwas airborne, and as the word of her book spread across the world, people began to read and become inspired by her empowering themes of individualism and objectivism.Staying theCourseWhen you believe in your idea and back it with faith and unrelenting persistence, you find that rejection is in fact your best friend. Ive come to believe that rejection is the ignition to start fine-tuning our lives and guiding them toward the di rection that our heart is leading us.I thought about these things as I wrote my book, The Value of You, over the past year. There were moments of doubt, just as there are for even the worlds most confident and accomplished people. But what made this book possible was my willingness to publish on this awesome platform, and to put myself out there. I first wrote only for myself. Over the last several years, I put myself out there and I began to thrive. Its made all the difference.Im soothed by the lack of reception?- ?initially?- ?that Ayn Rand dealt with for what became one of the most enduring classics of the 20th Century. There was no immediate success to be had. Rather, disappointment. However, that disappointment was met with an open-armed embrace of taking up the gauntlet and continuing on because she knew she was right.She knew her book was special. She believed that if she stayed the course, she would indeed be rewarded.Getting the RightResultsBeing right and knowing you are r ight coming primarily from four things research, observation, validation of others and intuition.As you see in the quadrant, I believe the optimal state is to have a strong, believing mindset that is backed up with the most constructive actions. What is most damaging, Ive found, is to do the right thing yet believe that what youre doing has all been in vain?- ?that youre wrong and worse, that doubt and fear begin to creep in.Ive found that actions can often easily be corrected but attitude adjustments are much harder to make. Changing our attitude is frankly, a matter of willpower. This requires breaking down and beating old habits that have discouraged, distracted and prevented us from our potential.Its very difficult to turn things around when the breaks havent been going our way?- ?or when we havent yet found results in whatever endeavor we have chosen. While its certainly teetering on the border of danger when youre doing the wrong thing but believing youre right, its simply eas ier to correct those actions through observation and study.Thats what great mentors, teachers, coaches and influencers are for. Seek knowledge and wisdom from those who are in a position to help and are willing.For all of us, our goal should be to move to the northeast part of the quadrant where our actions are in line with the positivity of our attitude. Strong conviction does not equal stubbornness. Strong conviction and belief in yourself equals faith, which begets patience, persistence and perseverance.Youll never just be able to get by with only a positive attitude.You must back that with an intelligent, industrious work ethic that consistently approaches each day with optimism, anticipation and a refusal to compromise.Go AllInIt pains me to see people on the right path who lack the conviction because of fear of the unknown. I can sense it immediately because I spent so many years of my life with this mindset. Call it youngest child syndrome. Call it an overly fearful view of t he world mixed with trepidation about what others might think.Call it what it is and then stop making excuses. Know that when you go all in and put yourself out there, the world doesnt seem so scary. Its invigorating, actually. You learn the proven strategy of believing in yourself and persevering by taking a chance. If you never take a chance, youll never know. But if you have the courage to move forward, youll begin to live the life youve always wanted.Value YourselfMy newbook on Values is out NOW Order it hereContact meif youd like,Follow my Facebook Pageand Join me on your journey. Lets GOThis article first appeared on Medium.