Distractions

Don’t Get Too Distracted by Others’ Goals

Although there’s nothing wrong with helping people to achieve their aspirations, never become so engrossed in their goals that you neglect your own.  Your goals are just as important as those you’re aiding others in accomplishing.  It’s critical for you to strike a healthy balance between working to attain your aspirations and working to assist others to achieve their goals.  When you have given considerable time to aiding others, you deserve to devote as much time as necessary to pursuing your dreams passionately.

Many of us who are committed to serving others become disappointed with ourselves when we dedicate time to focusing on our goals.  This has to stop!  Being a selfless person does not mean that you have to surrender living your dreams.  Never allow someone to make you feel like you have to devote all, much, or a majority of your time to him or her to be considered a selfless person.  Your record of service will evince you’re a selfless person.

Unfortunately, too many of the people who we sacrifice our goals for don’t appreciate what we have done for them.  They elect to criticize us for not being at the level of success they are at and/or for not having accomplished the things we have stated that we desire to do.  Of course, this represents the ultimate slap in the face.  We could have been accomplishing our goals while we were making their dreams come true.  Don’t dwell on how ungrateful these people have been to you.  Take some time to care for the wounds they’ve inflicted on you, and then get to work on executing your goals.

You also have to understand that when you’re working on achieving your goals, you’re positioning yourself to serve people more effectively.  Completing your goals, therefore, isn’t selfish—it’s a buttressing of your ability to perform charitable work.  When you’re in an improved social and economic position, you’re better able to aid others in moving up the social and economic ladder.

It’s essential for you to realize you cannot save the world; you can only do so much to help people.  With this reality in mind, think about how much time you invest in doing things for people.  Do you always do whatever someone wants you to do for him or her without refusing him or her?  If so, you’re bringing too much undue stress into your life.  Learn to say, “No”!  Really, it’s okay to refuse to do things for people, especially when you’ve always given to people and you’ve developed a distinguished track record of service.

Empower people to do things for themselves, so that you will not have to do every little thing for them.  You cripple people’s evolution when you allow them to depend on you for every little thing.  If you’ve been doing this, stop it today!  Let people learn to become independent.  You will discover that you will have more freedom to do the things you need to do, and they will have more liberty to live a life devoid of extreme dependence on you.

As T. I. and Rihanna say, “Just live your life.”

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Don’t Allow Distractions to Stop You
Haters

(Photo Credit: Adam Dunlap)

Rise above the distractions.  You will always have people who will attempt to hinder your progress and/or cause you to mess up when you’re using your talents.  My most recent experience with someone trying to hinder my progress and cause me to make mistakes while using one of my gifts happened on yesterday.  While I was interacting with a group of people, there was an intentional effort by one person to drown out my voice with background noise and music.  There was no purpose for this noise and music and this never occurs at the same time, same place, and same date each month.  Nothing new was going on at this location and no new problems were occurring.  This person always wants to be the center of attention, has a deeply hates me, and is envious.  Some other people in this same setting are envious of me, but they never resort to the malevolent tactics of this particular person.  He tries to fool people that he has great character, but he constantly does devious things to me—in an effort to try to undermine me.

I’m going to expose him. I want him to know that I know what he’s doing.  I kept using my gift, despite his distractions; he needed to see that background noise and music will not stop me.  Try again, partna’! Lol!  This is one way you can stop people from trying to distract and undermine you: expose them! I’m a very powerful individual.  I have powerful connections, valuable resources, enough money, prominent platforms, including Revolutionary Paideia with its large readership, prestige and much more.  I’m a mastermind.  I can always outlast you.  Cross me at your own peril!  Now, somebody give God some praise.  Lol!

It’s becoming increasingly popular to assert that adults shouldn’t say they have “haters.”  Some have even constructed what they perceive to be sophisticated arguments about why adults shouldn’t say they have haters.  The reality is many adults do have real haters they cannot avoid, especially when you have to work with these haters.  It’s not always easy to avoid them or get away from them.  I would greatly encourage you to not allow your haters to consume too much of your time.  When you permit your haters to consume too much of your time, they’ve scored a tremendous victory against you: they’ve distracted you in a significant way.

While it’s okay for you to vent from time to time about those who would like to distract and undermine you—this can be a good thing—just be mindful about how much time you’re devoting to venting about the things they do.  This is time you can be investing in progressing.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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