Using your worst enemy to become your best ally

Was there anyone in your life that you cared for, looked up to,were nrelated to or just "thought" you had a good relationship with that no matter nwhat dream or goals you had in mind, they would squash it? Or say that you ncould never make it? I have, and it is one of the most painful emotions one ncan feel .Especially if you cared for that person. Ever since I was 8 years nold, all I ever wanted to do was to work in Professional baseball, as a nplayer, coach, scout whatever. For years other than my Mom & Dad, people who nwere supposed to be on my side, be it family members or friends would always nsay it would never happen. I heard such lovely quotes as, "Its time to grow nup, quit baseball and be a man!", " Its a pipe dream" and one of my nfavorites was "Be realistic" These lines were coming from people I cared for nand I thought they cared for me. Now you could say they were saying these nthings for my own good....No! They were saying these words because they were nnot happy with their lives and were afraid you might be happy with yours!

As I said, these people and their words hurt me very much. I'm sure you nhave had people try to knock your dreams down as well. What did I do? How ndid I get through it? I got mad. Real mad. I used them to push me, I wrote ntheir names and words down on paper and whenever I was playing or coaching nand things got tough, I would look at that list and had an "I'm not nquitting, I'll show you" mentality. I was not going to give them the nsatisfaction of seeing me quit my dreams and them thinking they had a part nin it....No Way was I going to let that happen! I was not going to make nhappy.

So as I was chasing my dream, I began to achieve. I was a good player, nhad success as a college head coach. Even winning a championship at the age nof 25. I eventually became the General manager & Lead Pro scout for the
Global Scouting Bureau. I am doing public speaking as well as being a camp ninstructor and made my own hitting video. I do radio shows, appearances, nall the things I ever wanted to do. Do you know what those family members or nfriends say now?? Nothing. We don't even speak, and if we do, there is ntension. they know what i am doing and it kills them. I could have let them ndrag me down, and quit chasing my dream as they wanted, OR push myself that nmuch more. I have been very blessed to have great parents and my wife who nwere always supportive of me, and a few others that wanted me to succeed, nand they were and are so important to me. But I'll tell you something, they nnegative people in my life are an inch away from being just as important to nme as the positive people. I wanted to shove their words right down their ndamn throat, and I did! And I am still doing it to this second. They no nlonger tell me to quit, or " Be realistic" I was being realistic.

So I tell you, if their is someone trying to knock you down, trying to nmake you quit going after your dreams, use them. Let them motivate you to do ngreat things. There is nothing better in life than to do something people nnot only say you can't do but they say (in their own lovely way) they don't nwant you to do, and you do it. Yes it will hurt you at first, you may even nbe surprised of the source it's coming from, but it the end, it will have nmade you stronger, and you will achieve your dreams, and the people who told nyou to quit, were the reason you continued. You used your worst enemy, to be nyour best alley.