By Chanda Temple
As a child, Eunice Elliott always said she’d be on television. Her classmates called her idea “ridiculous.” She ignored them. Today, she’s living her dream as a television traffic reporter for the NBC affiliate station in Birmingham, Ala.
How many times have you told someone an idea and they’ve criticized it or told you you should do something else?
You know these kind of people. They live for the thrill of hunting down a vibrant dream, only to pick apart every detail until there’s nothing left but the bones that once held together everything.
When you encounter these type of negative people, especially in business, know this: Their opinion does not matter. Trust your judgment and know that you and your dream are good enough.
Being good enough is what Birmingham, Ala. motivational speaker, comedienne and television/radio personality Eunice Elliott promotes in her public appearances. Here are her five tips on how she stays focused.
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Believe that whatever your dreams look like in your mind are for you.
Your dreams make sense to you because you see them. When you tell others, they may have doubts because your visions are not for them; they are for you.
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Trust what you know
When you tell someone you bought a new car, quit your job or started a new endeavor, they may question why you did it. With their questions, doubt creeps in. You start to question your actions. Stop it. Remember that the only reason you made that decision is because you saw it would work for you.
As a child, Eunice had big dreams about being a television news journalist or a newspaper reporter. She would share her dreams with her classmates and friends. They thought her ideas were “ridiculous.” “When I would share what I was going to do, they would say, ‘How will you do that? You don’t know anyone who knows how to do that, ‘ ” she said.
Eunice would go home and tell her mother what they said. And what did her mother say? “Just live the dream,” Eunice recalled. “It’s hard to tell people your dreams in color. Just live them.”
“My mom has probably been the greatest asset I’ve had for anything,” Eunice said. “Her theory for anything was that if we had an idea, go ahead and try it. The worse thing that could happen is you’ve got to do it.”
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Be ready
Eunice’s favorite book is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. Her favorite concept from the book is this: Once you make the desires of your heart known, the universe will conspire to give it to you. She said that once someone internally honors their dream, they will naturally come into contact with people able to help and support the dream. When dreaming and looking for a sounding board, find someone with your same passion and direction.
Want to make a move in the world? Celebrate your uniqueness, Eunice Ellliot says.
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Celebrate your uniqueness
Eunice said she believes the thoughts and desires she has are unique to her. They are her GPS. If she tries to use the thoughts and desires of someone else, she will end up lost or not where she’s supposed to be.
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Ignore the naysayers
When you are in the public eye, there will always be someone to say something about you. If you receive the comments as the truth, they will keep you from being the person you are and the person you are supposed to be, Eunice said.
About Eunice
Eunice, Bessemer, Ala. native, graduated from the University of Alabama in 1997. A week after graduation, she moved to Connecticut to work in public relations at ESPN and later as a production assistant at ESPN Sports Center. After more than 10 years working in sports public relations, including stints at the Tennessee Titans, the FedEx Orange Bowl Committee and with several high-profile professional athletes, Elliott changed course and started performing stand-up comedy and acting.
In 2011, she moved to Atlanta to go after a new passion of comedy and acting. In 2013, she returned to Birmingham to join Alabama’s 13 morning team as the traffic reporter. She appears daily from 4:30 to 7 a.m.
Every Tuesday night in August 2014, she will appear at the Stardome Comedy Club in Hoover, Ala. at 7:30 p.m. Go here for details and to buy tickets.
Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Chanda Temple worked as a reporter for 20 years before becoming a public relations professional. She blogs about being better in business and more at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple. Contact her at chandatemple@gmail.com.