Don’t give up

It is well known that anyone trying to make a difference, trying to educate people and make changes for the better, is up against a lot of vested interests.

George W. Bush publicly supports the oil industry and trashes the environment, but did you know that at home he chose to build and live in an environmentally friendly, solar heated, water recycling household? So privately his beliefs appear to be at odds with what he believes he must do in his public position. It seems his job depends on it.

There are many people working for corporations that are damaging ordinary people and the world, who don’t believe in what they’re doing but are tied to their paycheque, and so no matter what they personally believe, they will oppose the well-meaning efforts of those of us who are trying to make things better in the world. This can make changes seem slow and heavy going.

Take heart by knowing firstly that they are not as dense or as stupid as they seem – it’s just a matter of having a job to do – and secondly, the truth will prevail. Because it is the truth. There’s a saying, “Nature always bats last” and you could say the same for truth – it always has the last word.

Opposition goes through these stages:

• they ignore you
• they laugh at you
• they perceive you as a threat and they try and clamp down on you and put you out of business
• they accept the truth, take all the credit and say it was their idea all along.

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

If what you are doing is the right thing for yourself, for others, and for the world, then take courage and keep going. Remember you may have inner resisters (see Kaizen Wealth for more on these) and that can make you your own worst enemy. But if this should happen, don’t despair, there are ways – easy ways – to eradicate this kind of obstacle!

On the one hand there is a “gestation period” – like pregnancy – during which results take time to develop, before there is anything to be seen on the surface. On the other hand, progress may seem to be very slow but what you don’t know is that momentum is building up and one day you look around and see how far you’ve come. Don’t make the biggest mistake of all – giving up too soon.

Have a great week and keep going!