An Article by Peter McWilliams

There is a type of crab that is almost impossible to catch - it is
agile and clever enough to get out of any crab trap. And yet, these
crabs are caught by the thousands every day, thanks to a particular
human trait they possess.

The trap is a wire cage with a hole at the top. Bait is placed in the
cage, and the cage is lowered into the water. One crab comes along,
enters the cage, and begins munching on the bait. A second crab joins
him. Then a third. Crab Thanksgiving. Yummm. Eventually, all the bait is
gone.

The crabs can easily climb up the side of the cage and through the
hole, but they do not. They stay in the cage. Other crabs come along and
join them -- long after the bait is gone.

Should one of the crabs realize there is no further reason to stay in
the trap and attempts to leave, the other crabs will gang up on him and
stop him. They will repeatedly pull him off the side of the cage. If he
is persistent, the others will tear off his claws to keep him from
climbing. If he persists still, they will kill him. The crabs -- by
force of the majority -- stay together in the cage. The cage is hauled
up, and it's dinnertime on the pier.

Anyone who has a dream -- one that might get them out of what they
perceive to be a trap -- had best beware of the fellow-inhabitants of
the trap. These "demotivators" do not usually use physical force --
although they are certainly not above it. They generally don't need it,
however. They have more effective methods at hand, and in mouth --
innuendo, doubt, ridicule, derision, mockery, sarcasm, scorn, sneering,
belittlement, humiliation, jeering, taunting, teasing, and lying.

And that was an article written by Peter McWilliams.

We are all capable of great things. No matter how lousy you may think you are, you possess gifts that can be developed to achieve something in life.

We are often our greatest enemies, the demotivators that prevent us from scaling the heights. However, very often, it is the people around us who are the worst culprits when it comes to crippling our efforts toward achieving our objectives.

People sometimes do this unwittingly, but very often, their labours at wearing you out are purposeful and can take very palpable forms. As far as possible, keep away from these people, and don't let their disparaging words shake your faith.