Your Story Will Propel You or Debilitate You - there is no middle ground
This post is going to force you to think about the story that you have adopted as your truth and the barrier preventing your potential.
There is no strategy to share, but rather my goal is for you to become self-aware and demolish the limitations that stand in your path to greatness - because - this is what you deserve!
I happen to be extremely passionate about this subject and there is a chance that my emotions will seep through my words, and possibly torment the conservative mind. If this happens to you - recognize that YOUR STORY is winning and YOUR LIFE is losing!
Come on this journey with me because what I am going to share with you is something that I have yet to master, but I am hyper conscious of it, and as a result, I have made significant progress.
The Black Sheep
When I was in high school, I somehow found my way into all honors classes. I say this because I definitely was not an intellect, but rather a hustler and my scrappy nature enabled me to stand out and get ahead. Most of my teachers liked the fact that I was the black sheep in the classroom; absolutely anything but studious, did not follow the rules, but always found a way to perform.
Then there was Ms. Hade, who was not as fond of my uniqueness in her sophomore honors English class. I did not read the chapters assigned to me, my writing style was “grammatically incorrect,” and when it was time to present, she did not dig my lack of desire to prepare.
We butted heads from day one and I was unwilling to compromise the “who I am” for anyone, especially when I knew that I was damn special.
I had the ability to bring emotion to words. I had the ability to motivate people to take action based on my writing. And I had the ability to ignore what was considered grammatically correct, and instead, always deliver the message that I deemed most important -- my way!
Like I mentioned, Ms. Hade and I did not see eye-to-eye, and she literally did everything in her power to get me removed from her Honors English class.
She started with unnecessary progress reports, but I intercepted these in the mail. She then continued with accusing me of drug usage, but I was (and still am) a fanatic for health and was as clean as you could be.
And then she accused me of plagiarism, which is where you are going to learn a vital lesson from my experience.
“This is too good to be your work”
Plagiarism is a serious penalty in high school and there was no way to intercept this accusation from reaching my parents.
A meeting ensued with my guidance counselor, the infamous Ms. Hade, the head of the English department, my parents, and of course ME.
The first question that I had to answer was whether or not I plagiarized, which I did not, and this is when things got heated.
Ms. Hade said the reason I was accused is because, “You are not a good writer and this piece of work is far superior than your abilities.”
“Who the fu** do you think you are,” is what I wanted to say to her, but my parents did this for me in a more acceptable manner.
The outcome of this meeting was a probationary period where the head of the department would review my work, and if there were any additional concerns of plagiarism, I would immediately be removed from the honors program.
Was the damage already done?
As I walked out of this meeting, the only thing that stuck with me was what Ms. Hade said, “Jared is not qualified as a writer to perform at an Honors level.”
This is one of those experiences you have probably had in your life when someone made a comment about your ability and you were forced to make a choice - to believe it or not to believe it - that is the question!
Maybe it was your parent who said not to try out for the choir because your voice was poor. Maybe it was a friend who told you not to pursue art because your skills were substandard. Maybe it was someone you dated (or were married to) who said that your cooking was horrible.
Maybe it was a sibling who said you looked heavy every time you wore stripes. Maybe it was a potential investor who said your idea was not going to work.
Everyone has had a time in their life when people doubted you, people ridiculed you, and when people didn't believe in you.
This is part of the human experience and in this very moment we have a choice to make…
Will you PROPEL forward or DIGRESS backwards?
I will never forget that day with Ms. Hade because 2 hours after she publicly proclaimed that I am “not good enough,” I had to sit through her class.
This experience was 18 years ago, but it feels like yesterday, because as I was sitting and listening to this woman, I realized that her motivation in life was to bring me to her miserable level.
And guess what….
NO WAY, NO HOW!
I declared in that moment that her story of limitations would not be part of my life novel, and instead, I was going to author the next chapter of my existence. I used this experience to propel me in the direction of creating a massive difference in the world by means of the written word.
And now it’s your time….
You have a Ms. Hade
Everyone has a Ms. Hade - someone who does not believe you are capable and makes their feelings known.
I am honored to say that in my life, I have had at least a few dozen Ms. Hade’s (some more severe) and because of my dedication to make a difference, I have learned not to “give a Sh** what people think.”
Each time I encounter a Ms. Hade, I get more inspired to prove this person wrong, not for their sake, but rather for the sake of every person on the planet that needs me to impact them positively.
Dogs don’t bark at parked cars
I am no different than you, but if you are being held back in your life because of your Ms. Hade, then I want to give you the power to say “I DON’T GIVE A SH** what [Your Ms. Hade] thinks, and instead, I only care about my desire to make a massive impact in the world.”
Dogs don't bark at parked cars, which means that you would not have naysayers if you were not doing something disruptive and making a difference.
As a changemaker, you are going to face the doubters. As a changemaker, you are going to encounter the critics. As a changemaker, you are going to have to deal with your Ms. Hade.
So the question you must answer is where does your conviction live...
With their story for you or with your own story for yourself?
Far too many business owners and entrepreneurs have a dream that they are compromising because of their parents, teachers, preachers, critics, and as a result, live a life filled with mediocrity.
They settle for less than their ability because they start to believe that their Ms. Hade knows more about their ability then they do.
I am here to tell you, once and for all, that not only can you achieve your definition of greatness, but I am also here to let you know that you must make this happen.
Mediocrity is the most widespread disease that our world faces and the only way it will end is if people like you step up and say, “Nothing will stop me. The critics will be ignored. The naysayers will be trampled. And I will show my Ms. Hade what is possible.”
Published 1,000’s of articles
I suppose Ms. Hade was wrong because I have gone on to publish 1,000’s of articles, scaled SYNDUIT without any funding (for the record, version 1 of the company was ME as a copywriter for some of the top figures in personal and professional development), and I live life on my own terms because I am an AWESOME writer and there is no one whose opinion will matter other than my own - especially you Ms. Hade.
Now it is time that you conquer your Ms. Hade because the only thing standing between where you are, and where you are destined to be, is the story that you keep on telling yourself.
You are a force to be reckoned with and now is your time to break through!
So here’s my final question...
What’s Your Story As Of Right Now?
Live with Intention,
