"Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!"

Have you ever watched ABC’s hit TV show Lost? My favorite episode was titled “Walkabout”. In it, we learn that the mysterious outdoorsman Locke was actually paralyzed from the waist down before getting on the doomed 815 flight which crashed and, somehow, gave him the use of his legs back.

Locke was actually planning to go on a Walkabout, which is an outdoor adventure. But the leader, seeing Locke’s limitation, forbade him to go. Angrily Locke shouted “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” We then flash forward to the plane crash, and see Locke on the ground, slowly moving his legs. Then stand up. And walk.

You can probably guess where I’m going with this, but before you write this off as another “motivational” article, stay with me for a minute.

I’ve had many “Locke Moments” in my life. Although I’ve never said his line to anyone before, I’ve sure thought it. When you’re born with the umbilical cord wrapped around your neck and barely live, you get used to people telling you what you can’t do.

First, doctors told my parents that if I did live I wouldn’t be active at all. I’d basically be a vegetable. They told my parents to put me in a home. They didn’t listen. “Don’t tell us what he can’t do!”

So, they took me home and it turned out that mentally, I was fine. I had Cerebral Palsy and doctors said I’d never walk. Well, they were right… for the first 7 years of my life I crawled around on my knees. I went through physical therapy multiple times a week and was quite determined for a kid. At 7 years old, at my grandparents’ house, I took my first steps, to everyone’s amazement, including myself. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!”

As I got older, people urged me to get into technical side of computers and get a good job. I hated that stuff. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. People warned me about this. It’s too risky. But I pursued ventures both online and offline, and I’ve made money in both. In fact, next month I’ll be selling a 4-acre piece of land. I’ll net $144,000 on the deal. Glad I took that risk. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!”

What about you? Do you get ridiculed by your friends and family when you tell them about your Internet dreams? It’s very common. The simple fact is that loved ones who do this to you have good intentions. They don’t want to see you get hurt, ripped off, or scammed. They just, quite honestly, have no idea what they’re talking about.

I’ve long since giving up on trying to explain what I do online to friends and extended family. Even trying to explain simple concepts such as email marketing can lead to comments such as “Oh, so you spam people?” It’s frustrating, to say the least. It hurts because these are the people who you’d expect to be on your side.

Don’t let these people get you down. Ask yourself one question: Do I believe that what I’m doing will eventually lead to financial success? Whether it’s creating e-books, doing affiliate marketing, making content sites, writing articles, or whatever it may be. If you can honestly say yes, then keep plugging away and never give up.

The next time a loved one says you’re crazy for trying to make money online, don’t get mad. Don’t get defensive. You don’t have to defend anything. You know what you’re doing. They have no clue. Just think about Locke, getting up from that crash site and walking, and simply say “Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”