No one can take from you what is truly yours unless you allow them, which applies to your dreams. Too often in life, we let others define who we are and what we can achieve. Carole Mosley-Braun so pointedly said, “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” Yet, it is a challenge we must rise to if we are to reach our full potential. No one knows what is inside us, the desire to be great. It is not uncommon that those that tell us we can’t are themselves afraid of branching out beyond their comfort zone. Then, out of jealousy, some are frightened that you will reach your potential and leave them behind. We can not allow ourselves to be influenced by their negativity; it may even be necessary to assess should these people even be part of our life. Not everyone is meant the path with you. There will be times as you walk that path, you’ll stumble and fail. When that happens, you need people who believe in you and offer you encouragement to get back up and keep moving toward your dreams. Not someone who doubts you and is quick to tell you that you’ll never do it, you know you can, but surrounding yourself with negativity can cause doubt to creep in, and the slightest bit of doubt may be enough to prevent you from achieving your dreams.