There are three things that threaten your journey to the great Emerald City of success. Not lions, tigers or bears but illusions, mirages and myths. Although they can cause devastating and sometimes fatal damage to your hopes, dreams and plans, if you summon the courage to resist their bravado, you can live successfully ever after.

Recognize what is best for you. Forget about the negative things others say to and about you. Stop associating yourself with those who don’t have your best interest at heart and/or who will tear you down to make themselves look and feel good. They are cowards. They don’t have the courage or ability to stand out, to be amazing or to be extraordinary. Don’t allow your talents, skills and abilities to be restricted by their opinions. What do they know anyway?

Challenges come to test your mettle. Brutal and scorching, they force you to be strong so that you can bear fruit. You can’t wallow in self pity and aggrandize about the emotional strain you feel. You haven’t time. The orange seed has timeframe for which it must grow into an orange tree and a season in which it must produce fruit. You, too, have a timeframe for which you must grow and develop and a season in which you must bear fruit.