There will be doubters, there will be haters, and there you will be, proving them all wrong. Don't expect them to understand, when God did not give them the same vision He gave you. One day, the same people who doubted you will tell people how they know you.#liveitfull

One of my good friends struggled with some negativity that he was receiving on social media earlier this week. This guy is a very successful business owner. He has built some fantastic companies the right way. He received some negative feedback from some people who said he had changed and he was too big. Some people are simply envious of success. He doesn’t have an ego; he's not a guy who would ever come across as being too big for somebody.

He'd raised $17,000 that day for his nonprofit, which he founded and runs. He was celebrating that success publicly. There will always be internet trolls when you put yourself out there; they come with the territory. He was hurt, though because it was not just trolls. It was people that he had helped along his journey in business.

I want to share with you because you’ll have these moments, and it is easy to get discouraged. Especially in the beginning, when it is the first time you go through it. I do not want you ever to feel like you are on an island or, by yourself, or experiencing things that nobody has gone through. Chances are anyone who has started a business, become an entrepreneur, or tried to do something different, something bigger than themself, to improve their lot in life. I can guarantee they received pushback.

Success is like an iceberg; you may have heard this analogy. All you can see of the iceberg is above the water, the tip; it is tiny compared to what lies beneath. People cannot see what is below the water. The hard work, late nights, early mornings, the money invested, the relationships lost, the parts that make this very, very hard. They don't see the times that you can't make payroll and you have to borrow money out of your savings. They don't see the times you had to tell your wife to put Christmas on a credit card; you’ll have to sell some more and pay it in January. They do not see those things. They do not see the times you are worried about paying the bills or how you are going to put food on the table. They do not understand the responsibility of having employees. When you are a small business owner, you are responsible for more people than just yourself. You're accountable for the livelihood of employees, which is not a thing to be taken lightly. They will look at you, and they see your success. They’ll say you have changed. When you hear this, remember it has far less to do with your growth than their lack of development. That is the real issue they have with you. You will be successful if you grind it out, and no matter what happens, you keep going. I genuinely believe that everybody has that potential, but most people quit. It is often because the people closest to them, who have never triedor tried and failed, criticize your efforts.

It is too risky; 95% of businesses fail.

You? Own a business? Then scoff because how could you do that?

They will see your potential only to the limits in which they see their own.

You will hear all sorts of things, do your best to ignore them. The hardest part, though, it will be your friends and family in which you are the closet. Prepare yourself for that; I do not know a single successful person that did not encounter some sort of opposition from those closest to them. You need to be prepared to surround yourself with people who have been through it, the ones who understand. Otherwise, you will feel alone. It is so hard to see past that at times. People will say you’ve changed, say, “you are right. I’ve changed because I'm trying to grow; I can not stay the same.”

Keep growing. Go in with the mindset that you do not expect them to understand. They can’t because God didn't give them their vision. Maybe they don't have that burning desire, that ache in their chest, or that voice inside that tells them to push forward. I do, though, I understand you; I know those feelings. You want something more to give your family a better life. You are blissfully dissatisfied with life.

I have worked my tail off and go to celebrate the success, to reap the harvest. Only to hear things like “must be nice.”

Oh, you took Friday off? It must be nice.

Oh, you got a new truck? It must be nice.

Oh, you just took another vacation? It must be nice.

I am never scheduled, but I am always working; I am an entrepreneur; there is no proverbial nine to five. There is the time I am awake until the time I am asleep.

It is one of the most frustrating things that you can ever say to someone, “must be nice.” As I have gotten older, a little more experienced, matured a bit, I understand that I need to show them grace. If you feel the need to say something, say “Yes it is”, and let your work do the talking. Hustle until those same people ask if you're hiring; that changes the game.

Someday, the people who doubted you will tell people how they know you.

There are people that doubt me today. They say “Why do you have a podcast/youtube/website?” Why are you trying to share your thoughts? Do you think you are Tony Robbins. Yes, yes I do. Someday they will tell people how they know me. Again, try to show them grace, though, instead of using that anger toward them, funnel it towards your work. People are going to see the world through their lens. They are going to see it the way that they want to. They're not going to see it through yours; do not waste precious energy and time trying to get them to understand that, because honestly they never will. When these things happen,especially early on in your career, when you're trying to make those dreams a reality. Don't stress out over the things and people that you can not control You know your vision, you know what it takes, do not let anyone tell you otherwise. #liveitfull