If there is one piece of advice I could give you today, a tip that applies to every adult reading this—or even those who are on the brink of adulthood—it would be this: If you want to do something in life, do it. If you have a dream, if there is something you desperately want to achieve, then you need to carry two things with you at all times—a strong will and a thick skin.

The Two Essentials: Will and Resilience

You need a strong will because the moment you decide to chase a dream, the world around you will start talking. And unfortunately, most of it won’t be encouragement. It could be your family, your parents, your siblings, your extended relatives, or even your closest friends—they will question you. They will tell you it’s unrealistic, that nobody in your family has ever done it, that it’s too risky, too ambitious, too different. They will doubt you. And when that happens, this is where the thick skin comes in—you must not listen to them.

Ignore the negativity. It is human nature for people to resist change, especially when it’s coming from someone they know. But you have to remember: this is your life, not theirs. If you want something, you must go after it, regardless of what anyone else says.

Two Possible Outcomes

Now, let’s talk about what happens next, once you push forward despite the doubts and the negativity. There are two possible outcomes:

1. You Succeed

Congratulations! You achieve what you set out to do. The people who doubted you? Some may change their tune, pretending they always supported you. Others might still talk, but their voices will be fewer. And at this point, you don’t care anymore. Why? Because you’ve already proven yourself. Success gives you the confidence to dream even bigger, to set new goals, and to keep pushing forward.

2. You Fail

Let’s say things don’t work out. Maybe the plan didn’t go as expected. Maybe circumstances weren’t in your favor. Maybe you made mistakes. And guess what? People will talk even more. They will say, “I told you so.” They will say, “You should have listened.”

But here’s what they won’t understand: failure is also a form of success. Because in failure, you gain something invaluable—experience. You learn what went wrong. You learn what to do better next time. You become wiser, sharper, and more prepared for your next attempt. And let me tell you something—those who try again, those who keep going, those who refuse to give up, they are the ones who eventually succeed. Every great success story has a chapter of failure in it.

The Reality of Life

Life isn’t fair. You will fall. You will make mistakes. You will be disappointed. But that’s part of the journey. There comes a moment when you have to stop depending on the guidance of others and start making your own choices, taking your own steps, even if they lead to failures. Because those failures are what will shape you, teach you, and ultimately, make you the person you were meant to be.

So, if you have a dream, go after it. If people doubt you, let them. If you fail, try again. This is your life. You owe it to yourself to live it the way you want.

Now, go and do it.