Shushing the Negative

In my reading of A Woman Who Doesn’t Quit, I began to think about one of the other reasons I often quit – the negatives. Here is this weeks quote:

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Have you ever had a negative voice, internally or externally, that caused you to quit? Ralph Waldo Emerson states that it takes courage to plan out your actions and follow through on them despite the negative voices from others or yourself.

In the Book of Ruth we see her experiencing a negative voice from Naomi in Ruth 1:6-15 when she tells her to leave her behind and complete her own thing. Without hesitation Ruth responds with courage and a plan in Ruth 1:16-17; “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” It is followed by Naomi seeing her determination and she did not saying anything else.

I believe, that when we are courageous, create a plan, and follow through we will be known as determined, and the negatives will be silenced. This process may have to occur more than one time and the negative voices may never stop as we continue to take on more risks and follow our hearts desire. I am reminded of the words found on the home of Mother Theresa in Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the best you’ve got anyway.

You see,  in the final analysis it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Theresa’s revised edition of the Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith

Shush the negatives and follow your hearts desires my friend, because at the end of the day the choices we made to be true to ourself is all that matters.

Until next time – a latte of sparkles & giggles,