Howard Schulz

Don’t be beaten down by Naysayers.

They’ll call you a dreamer, a do-gooder or a romantic. Every time you stand up for a good cause – large or small – someone will roll their eyes or tell you to sit back down. Robert Kennedy used to say that 20 percent of the people are against everything all the time. It’s true. There will always be lots of people who give you all the reasons why you can’t or won’t improve the world. It’s up to you to remind yourself of all the reasons why you can and will. Optimism and pessimism are both choices. Notice that some of the most interesting and successful people have chosen to acquire the habit of talking about what they are for rather than what they are against. Be one.

I realize that idealism is out of sync with the cynicism of our age. Skepticism has come to be synonymous with sophistication, and glibness is mistaken for intelligence. In such an atmosphere, why bother aiming high ? Far too many people don’t. I just want to reassure people to have the courage to persevere, to keep following their hearts even when others scoff. Don’t be beaten down by Naysayers. Don’t let the odds scare you from even trying ‘’.

– Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks coffee.