I came across the following quote the other day:
Those who say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those who are already doing it.
Unfortunately people don’t always follow this advice. I was about to flip it round and write something about success, but if you want advice about success there are better people to listen to than me.
I do, however, know something about trying, and trying is often harder than succeeding: the leap between the status quo and trying to change it is often wider than the leap between trying to change it and succeeding. Often the opinions of others – especially those who we respect – can be paralyzing (what if they’re right? what if I’m being stupid? what will they think if I fail?).
Just to try, you need to listen to what other people say and then ignore them. Of course, this isn’t always true. And it’s not clear when it holds, except in retrospect.