The Naysayers

Has someone ever let you down? 

It could be by your boss or a family member, or even a friend. Getting put down is a part of life, but the bigger question is, what do you do about it? Do you revolt against what has been said to you, or do you keep shut, drink the poison and not do anything about it? We all are individuals and have different ways of dealing with such things.

Allow me to share a small anecdote:

I was on my first internship in Dubai, working in a five-star hotel’s food and beverage department. This internship was part of my hotel management course and was my first step into the world of work. I worked in the banquet section for three months and was trained by a mentor throughout that time. 

One day during our break time, he asked me what my future goals are? Like any intern would answer, I said that I would like to build my way up in this industry and get to the top management level. He then looked at me and said, ‘you will not be able to become a manager. I was surprised and thought he was joking, but clearly, he was not and after asking him why? He said, ‘you are too short to become a manager; a manager must be a tall person who can deal with clients and have that kind of personality. I was disappointed and quite demotivated by his words but kept my cool till I completed my internship successfully.

That experience and his words have stayed with me till today and will stay with me lifelong. 

I was just 20 back then, and my mind was still developing. Initially, it did pull me down and play on my mind that I cannot be successful just because I am short, but with time I used this negative comment as fuel to push through all the naysayers who came after him.

It was then that I realised that naysayers on the outside are the ones who awaken naysayers inside of us. 

And one must not allow that to happen. Even though our life is lovely and on track, we start to think less of ourselves only because a naysayer has put that into our heads. It’s like a virus; once it’s in your head, it can either defeat your mind or your mind defeats it. The reason where I am today is because of having a bulletproof and calm mind. These two formulas open doors that one never knew even existed.

One of my Martial Art Grand Master said to me, ‘So what if you are short!! Look at a diamond; it’s so small yet so powerful in value and strength. Nothing can break a diamond; you must be like a diamond and have a heart of a tiger’.

Be a diamond 

Have a bold and confident personality. Use your mind to fight people who speak ill about you or are against you. 

Height, weight, skin colour or any physical feature should not pull you back in your mind. Use it to your advantage, along with a strong mind, to show and be who you really are and what you are truly capable of.

In the end, it’s all about the mind.