Don’t Take Swimming Lessons From Drowning People
by Daryl Daughtry, Publisher
You need to be very careful and really picky in regards to where you get advice and input for for your life.
Opinions are everywhere. Peoples’ values are competing against each other. What’s true to one individual may be viewed as a lie to someone else. And for Heaven’s sake, don’t assume that those who scream their views the loudest are the ones who are the wisest.
1 – Stop taking swimming lessons from people who are drowning.
It always amazes me how people, who aren’t successful and who continually make poor choices in life, are super eager to give out warnings and advice to anyone who’ll listen. And most of it is about what to look out for and who not to trust.
I’ve always believed that the same thinking that got you into a jam in the first place isn’t going to get you out of one. So, why would I or anyone else value the opinions of people who are unsuccessful, low on funds, or bounce from one broken relationship to the next? But, we do it all the time.
I am reminded of a homeless man many years ago who happened upon a talk I was giving in a city park. It humbled me that I was invited to this event and I eagerly volunteered to speak for free. Well, I wasn’t but a few minutes into my talk when this filthy man in tattered clothes yelled out in anger that he wasn’t going to listen to advice from someone who wasn’t of the same race and hasn’t walked in his worn-out shoes. He kept shouting that I couldn’t possibly relate to him and my insights about life were worthless.
Sadly, the point was that he should have been trying to relate to me and not me to him. After all, I wasn’t drowning like he was and I was willing and able to throw him a life preserver. His thinking and poor choices weren’t serving him well, but he was more interested in finding a like-minded buddy who would listen to him and validate all of his complaining and excuses.
So, whose voices are you allowing to get inside your head? Are they people at your level and lower or are they experiencing a much higher level of living and willing to help pull you up?
2 – Stop getting directions from people who can’t see where you’re going.
Think about the following statement… If someone hasn’t been to where your vision is or they can’t even see it, how are they possibly going to give you accurate directions to get you there? Also, if your vision is a bit large and intimidating, they will surely try and talk you out of it. They will advise you to be more realistic and practical. Doesn’t that sound familiar?
There are too many awesome books, online courses, YouTube videos, and conferences out there for you to settle for anything less than your God-given dreams. You were created to climb over obstacles and reach new heights. It is in your DNA. You don’t need anyone’s permission to dream. It is a very natural and a very normal thing.
Yes, you will encounter obstacles, setbacks, and failures along the way. Guess what? Everyone else who has ever succeeded at anything did also. The biggest difference with them is that they learned from adversity and didn’t give into the temptation to quit. They also sought counsel from seasoned folks who were also overcomers and pressed through their own hard times.
So please, stop taking swimming lessons from people who are drowning and stop getting directions from people who can’t even see where you’re going.
