Ignore Them

Christopher Nolan once had an English teacher tell him: “You have to be about books the way you are about movies.”

The teacher’s advice fell on deaf ears.

“Great advice, but I knew in my heart, I never would be,” Nolan said.

Anything he did or learned was simply fuel for his goal of making the best films.

Similarly, when he was 10 years old, sci-fi writer Phillip K Dick became obsessed with The Wizard of Oz books. But when he ran to the library to borrow the rest of the series, the librarian said they didn’t stock fantasy books because it made kids ill-equipped for the “real” world.

Although this didn’t deter him from eventually finding the books, it’s unfortunate she didn’t embrace a child’s rare enthusiasm to read.

Often, people who have no idea of your dreams or talents will try to give you advice.

Ignore them. 

Well-intentioned or not, very few people actually know what YOU are capable of. They’re projecting their own insecurities or hopes.

This doesn’t mean ignoring the path of hardship — as Steven Pressfield suggests, your passion is often where your deepest discomforts are. The hard path is usually the path worth taking.

So when you see someone with a genuine passion, be supportive. Help them nurture it. Be the support you wish you had when you began. Few people find their life’s tasks. I’m convinced the world would be a better place if more people did.