What are the people in your life telling you? Are they increasing your self-doubt or strengthening your faith? Just because people tell you something doesn’t make it so. In 1492 the people surrounding Columbus thought the earth was flat. The ‘experts’ examined his travel plans and said his idea was impossible. But Columbus didn’t fall off the end of the earth as they predicted – instead, he discovered America! Along the same lines, Thomas Edison tried to persuade Henry Ford to abandon his fledgling idea of a motor car because he was convinced it would never work. He told Ford, ‘Come work for me and do something worthwhile.’ Although Edison was a great inventor, it sounds like he was only positive about what he could do and rather pessimistic about what others could do. So the next time you get in your car to go somewhere, be glad Ford didn’t share Edison’s negative outlook about cars. Don’t let someone else’s limited thinking limit you. Negativity is contagious; you have to pay attention if you don’t want to catch it! Even if you’re the only positive person in your family, be the one with an optimistic outlook in every situation. What we call ‘common knowledge’ often is commonly wrong! ‘The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.’ Have the people who are telling you ‘it can’t be done’ factored God into the equation? If not, pay no attention. Instead of listening to people who increase your doubts, listen to the people to whom God has given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.