What if being called crazy was actually the highest compliment you could get?
Research consistently shows that transformative innovations share a common trait: they were initially dismissed as unrealistic, impractical, or impossible.
What separates the merely successful from the truly revolutionary isn’t intelligence or resources – it’s the willingness to pursue what others consider unreasonable.
The psychological data reveals something fascinating: our greatest regrets come from the audacious goals we abandoned, not the ones we pursued and failed to achieve.
Pursuing audacious goals triggers two predictable responses: external criticism and internal fear. Both signal you’re heading somewhere meaningful.
This edition of Find A Way Weekly explores the psychology of breakthrough thinking and why your boldest ideas deserve your strongest defense, not dilution.
Never Embolden the Naysayers
Criticism is the tax paid by those pursuing meaningful change. Expect it, but don’t let it derail you.
Throughout history, the most significant contributors faced as much opposition as celebration.
Those benefiting from the status quo will resist your boldest ideas. But here’s the truth about innovation: if nobody’s criticizing your ideas, they probably aren’t bold enough.
When facing critics, your instinct may be to compromise. This is a dangerous trap.
Small concessions don’t appease critics – they validate their strategy and encourage further attacks.
Think of criticism as a test of your commitment. It reveals how much you believe in your vision.
The solution isn’t finding middle ground – it’s doubling down on your convictions with unwavering tenacity.
The most audacious ideas in history survived not because they avoided criticism, but because their champions refused to be deterred by it.
Your boldest vision deserves your strongest defense. Never embolden those who would dim your light.
Making the Impossible… Possible
They said it couldn’t be done. They were wrong.
And Impossible Foods took their doubt as a trophy in the form of their cheeky name.
When Stanford professor Patrick Brown announced his plan to create plant-based meat indistinguishable from animal meat, skeptics lined up with doubts.
Scientists, food industry experts, and investors all questioned whether consumers would ever accept “fake meat” that satisfied devoted carnivores.
Brown’s approach was unconventional – using molecular biology rather than culinary expertise to deconstruct meat at a fundamental level.
His breakthrough discovery of heme as the key to meat’s distinctive flavor proved the skeptics wrong.
Today, Impossible Foods products are in thousands of locations worldwide, and the company has been valued at almost $10 billion.
Brown’s audacious vision reminds us that the most dismissed ideas often become the most transformative.
When your boldest ideas face the fiercest resistance, that might just be the signal you’re onto something revolutionary.
Run Toward Your Fear
Fear evolved as protection but often functions as a prison. The science suggests breaking free.
Author Robin Sharma’s insight about transcending what we befriend offers a powerful framework for approaching what scares us.
Our neurobiological threat systems can’t distinguish between physical dangers and the discomfort of pursuing audacious goals.
This creates a modern paradox: the very mechanism designed to protect us now prevents our greatest fulfillment.
The research is unambiguous: directly confronting fears diminishes their power dramatically, while avoidance reinforces their control.
Consider reframing those physiological responses – the racing heart, the tingling sensation – as excitement rather than anxiety.
The pathway to your most audacious potential requires walking straight through what currently terrifies you most.
When you feel that familiar resistance, recognize it not as a warning but as confirmation you’re moving toward something truly worth pursuing.
To your creative success…
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About Josh
Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally recognized innovation expert. To learn more or to explore a collaboration, visit JoshLinkner.com
