Fuel for Thought

Noli Nothis Permittere te Terere

Noli nothis permittere te terere.

 

Negativity can seemingly be found everywhere. There are those who refuse to see anything else. These same people also seem to be the quickest to react to anything positive. In today’s fast paced, socially connected world, it is much more common to see people complain rather than support.

Whatever your goals, large or small, it can be much more difficult to attain those goals when you are surrounded by negativity.

Noli nothis permittere te terere. One translation of this phrase is “Don’t let the bastards get you down”.

Nil illegitimi carborundum. A more popular version of the phrase, but while it doesn’t exactly translate, it does convey the same message since its rise in popularity due in part to the British Army during World War II and also when General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell of the U.S. Army adopted it as his motto also during World War II. It was used in the 1964 Presidential campaign as well.

Whichever version you choose, the takeaway is the same, don’t let others bring you down. If you have your goals set, keep striving for it. Naysayers will abound from everywhere, these are just distractions and in order to keep moving forward, you just have to disregard those Negative Nellies and Negative Neds.

Whether you are just trying to start a business or improve on one you currently have, negativity can be a major obstacle, if you listen to it. When morale is down, profits can follow. There will be obstacles in your path to success but how you deal with them can be the difference between reaching your goals and failure. However, failure is not the end either. Many successful businesses endured failure along the way, make the adjustments necessary, avoid the frustration of those telling you it cannot be done, and move forward, even if that means modifying your goals or the timeline for your goals. The good thing about setting your own goals, is that you also have the ability to change them as the need arises.

When you start to avoid the negative people around you, you may get accused of “wearing rose-colored glasses”, but isn’t that better than wallowing in cynicism and gloom? Seek out like-minded people to surround yourself with, rather than a circle of pessimism and opposition. You will most likely reach your goals quicker and maybe even go beyond what you yourself thought was possible. ANother saying comes to mind, “It is hard to soar with the eagles when you are surrounded by turkeys”. Find your circle of eagles (or they may find you) and soar above all the turkeys.

 

Noli nothis permittere te terere

 

See you down the road,

Greg