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Don't Take Advice From Quitters Ignore people who tell you to take it easy. They don't understand your goals.

By Grant Cardone

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Thomas Barwick | Getty Images

Where do you get your advice from? Is it from your friend or your mom?

A lot of people take advice from everyone around them. They listen because it comes from a well-intentioned source and sounds correct. The problem with conventional wisdom is that it's conventional, meaning it adheres to accepted standards.

Let me ask you a question …

Why would you want to base your actions and thinking on accepted standards? I'm not talking about obeying traffic laws here. I'm talking about thinking in proportion to your true potential.

Would you agree that Alexander the Great and Napoleon were exceptional? You probably would ...

If they were alive today, would you tell them to relax or take it easy? It might sound ridiculous but you need to start thinking it's ridiculous when someone says that to you. Why?

Related: 25 Entrepreneurs Share the Worst Advice They Ever Received

Because you need to become the Alexander and Napoleon of your own life.

Success is not something that just happens. You are the only one who has your dreams and can make them a reality. Don't let someone else's average thinking water down your true potential. I know you want to be exceptional. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't. When you're thinking big enough and start acting in accordance with your dreams, people will have something to say or have some advice for you.

Trusted friends and family members will come out of the woodwork. Just remember how bizarre it would be if they gave Napoleon the suggestion to slow down, relax, quit while you're ahead, you're doing too much. They'd probably be executed if they did!

That's what you need to do mentally ...

Cut out all outside sources that are not aligned with your purpose. Don't take the advice. If you have a purpose and are ethically working towards your mission, get rid of outside influence not in agreement with your purpose.

You won't achieve your true level of success taking advice from average thinkers who have given up their dreams or are too afraid to have their own. Remember, an average person can't teach you how to be exceptional. They are too busy avoiding their problems and not paying attention to what they want to create in life.

Related: Advice to College Grads: Embrace Entrepreneurship

You have difficult choices to make.

You might have to get rid of some friends, cut ties with a family member, or separate from your partner. I've had to do all these things ...

You might not know but I was married years ago before I met my current wife Elena. It only took me a year to figure out that we would never be on the same page. She was happy with average and I wanted more. I was wrong for her and she was wrong for me.

Divorce is not a good thing, but it happened and I'm not ashamed.

Settling for average is suicide for your dreams!

You have to protect your castle by controlling your environment. I'm not so concerned with what's outside the walls, it's what's in proximity that can do me the most harm. You have to get the weeds out of your garden, not be worried about what's going on down the street.

Related: 5 Pieces of Free Financial Advice You Can't Afford to Take

I know you want to be exceptional. To do so, you need to stop tolerating bad advice from quitters who are too afraid to get to work on their own dreams. Being exceptional, by its very definition, is something that is above average, rare, or unusual. That quality is what creates success.

Right now I'm giving you permission to operate at a higher level. Come fly with me up here. I guarantee that when you do, you'll never come down again. Success is too sweet of a high!

Grant Cardone

International Sales Expert & $1.78B Real Estate Fund Manager

Grant Cardone is an internationally-renowned speaker on sales, leadership, real-estate investing, entrepreneurship and finance whose five privately held companies have annual revenues exceeding $300 million.

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