--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as anyone starts telling you to…" description: "\"As soon as anyone starts telling you to be \"realistic,\" cross that person off your invitation list.\" — John Eliot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png" --- # As soon as anyone starts telling you to be "realistic,"… ![“As soon as anyone starts telling you to be "realistic," cross that person off your invitation list.” quote by John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png) > “As soon as anyone starts telling you to be "realistic," cross that person off your invitation list.” [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advice to reject those who impose limiting realism on personal goals. **In simple terms:** Ignore people who tell you to be realistic. Key Takeaway Prioritize authentic aspirations over others' constraints. Themes authenticity boundaries self‑determination Mood defiant empowering Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - personal relationships - goal setting Key Concepts personal growth social influence Questions to Reflect On - How does realism affect your dreams? - When is it wise to heed realistic advice? A Different Perspective Realism can be useful for risk assessment; balance with ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Invitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invitation/) [Invitations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invitations/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [cross that person off your invitation list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/cross-that-person-off-your-invitation-list/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [When invitation come, then I inquire just to see new place or seeing just the one sort of family, then not much interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-invitation-come-then-i-inquire-just-to-see-new-place-or-seeing/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [God is always seeking you. Every sunset. Every clear blue sky. Each ocean wave. The starry hosts of night. He blankets each new day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-is-always-seeking-you-every-sunset-every-clear-blue-sky-each/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [To girls and women everywhere, I issue a simple invitation. My sisters, my daughters, my friends; find your voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/to-girls-and-women-everywhere-i-issue-a-simple-invitation-my-sisters/) [Ellen Johnson Sirleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/) > [A wedding invitation is sent by people who have been saying, "Do we have to ask them?" to people whose first response is, "How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/a-wedding-invitation-is-sent-by-people-who-have-been-saying-do-we/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal herself or himself to you, to tell you who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/a-real-conversation-always-contains-an-invitation-you-are-inviting/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [Journalism has not only its social stimulations but its aesthetic virtues. An invitation into print, from however suspect a source, is an opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/journalism-has-not-only-its-social-stimulations-but-its-aesthetic/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The Savior will let you feel the love He feels for those you serve. The call is an invitation to become like Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-savior-will-let-you-feel-the-love-he-feels-for-those-you-serve/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [I go where I'm invited. And all I can tell you is if we accepted every invitation we had, I'd be away every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-go-where-i-m-invited-and-all-i-can-tell-you-is-if-we-accepted-every/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Christmas is an invitation by God to say: Look what I've done to come near to you. Now draw near to me...I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christmas-is-an-invitation-by-god-to-say-look-what-i-ve-done-to-come/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Did you ever feel like the whole world was going to a party and your invitation got lost in the mail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/did-you-ever-feel-like-the-whole-world-was-going-to-a-party-and-your/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [Invitation is the sincerest flattery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-wells/invitation-is-the-sincerest-flattery/) [Carolyn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-wells/) > [When people are breaking the law, they don’t get an invitation to the White House. They ought to be getting an invitation to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/when-people-are-breaking-the-law-they-don-t-get-an-invitation-to-the/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [We never like to miss an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of our life. That's why I never like to have a service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/we-never-like-to-miss-an-opportunity-to-make-jesus-the-lord-of-our/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [You can't act like you've arrived when you're only just receiving the invitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/you-can-t-act-like-you-ve-arrived-when-you-re-only-just-receiving-the/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) ## More by John Eliot > [To be a top performer you have to be passionately committed to what you're doing and insanely confident about your ability to pull it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/to-be-a-top-performer-you-have-to-be-passionately-committed-to-what/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Great performers welcome pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/great-performers-welcome-pressure/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Confidence is consistency of thinking about what is possible and how to make it possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/confidence-is-consistency-of-thinking-about-what-is-possible-and-how/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these people. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pack-you-have-to-risk-being/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [cross that person off your invitation list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/cross-that-person-off-your-invitation-list/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Stick with your own perception of yourself-living in your own world-and letting your reality, not the reality presented by other people or particular situations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/stick-with-your-own-perception-of-yourself-living-in-your-own-world/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Superstars think like superstars long before the fans or the press anoint them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/superstars-think-like-superstars-long-before-the-fans-or-the-press/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Great performers are, by definition, abnormal; they strive throughout their entire careers to separate themselves from the pack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/great-performers-are-by-definition-abnormal-they-strive-throughout/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [“Musicians, like golfers, have to put their minds in the right place – trusting, confident, enjoying the pressure, being in present. And so forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/musicians-like-golfers-have-to-put-their-minds-in-the-right-place/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Overachievers don't think reasonably, sensibly, or rationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/overachievers-don-t-think-reasonably-sensibly-or-rationally/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Perfectionism is simply putting a limit on your future. When you have an idea of perfect in your mind, you open the door to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/perfectionism-is-simply-putting-a-limit-on-your-future-when-you-have/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [I have discovered that I cannot enhance anybody's performance without getting them not only to live with the butterflies that come with high-pressure jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/i-have-discovered-that-i-cannot-enhance-anybody-s-performance-without/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [The idea of perfect closes your mind to new standards. When you drive hard toward one ideal, you miss opportunities and paths, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/the-idea-of-perfect-closes-your-mind-to-new-standards-when-you-drive/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Elevated levels of confidence are omnipresent among history's greatest overachievers. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most famous men in the world even before he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/elevated-levels-of-confidence-are-omnipresent-among-history-s/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Anyone who strays too far from the majority view or the conventional wisdom is bound to be labeled "arrogant," "a maverick," "a Wildman," "weird,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/anyone-who-strays-too-far-from-the-majority-view-or-the-conventional/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) [Explore all 43 John Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) ## More Crosses quotes > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/whoever-does-not-seek-the-cross-of-christ-doesn-t-seek-the-glory-of/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [“To my fellow Crosses, keep the faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malorie-blackman/to-my-fellow-crosses-keep-the-faith/) [Malorie Blackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malorie-blackman/) > [I told my mom I was going to do a movie about a son who hears a story about his mom and takes her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelman/i-told-my-mom-i-was-going-to-do-a-movie-about-a-son-who-hears-a-story/) [Dan Fogelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelman/) > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [Never forget that the road to Heaven is the Way of the Cross. Jesus has called us to follow Him, bearing the Cross as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-philippine-duchesne/never-forget-that-the-road-to-heaven-is-the-way-of-the-cross-jesus/) [Rose Philippine Duchesne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-philippine-duchesne/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) Browse all 2,897 Crosses quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As soon as anyone starts telling you to be \"realistic,\" cross that person off your invitation list.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Eliot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to-be-realistic-cross-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crosses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to-be-realistic-cross-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d0/john-eliot-15291_crosses_as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to_980123.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As soon as anyone starts telling you to be \"realistic,\" cross that person off your invitation list.” — John Eliot", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Eliot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As soon as anyone starts telling...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to-be-realistic-cross-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to-be-realistic-cross-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```