They will doubt you and say
you are incapable of reaching
your highest potential.

They will remind you that you're
wrong for setting goals
they think are unattainable.

They will tell you to
lower your standards
to fit a mold they believe
you fall under.

They will convince you you're
wasting your time pursuing
higher education, hissing in your ear:
"having a degree doesn't mean
you'll get a better job."

They wonder what if,
glaring at students walking by
their office window, smiling
without a care in the world.

They will ask what you're going to do
with your liberal arts degree, stating that
you'll end up "working retail" or "pouring
coffee" for the rest of your life.

They sit behind a desk for
40 hours per week, watching the
clock, calculating, questioning
how they ended up here.

They will remind you you're still single
because your standards are too high,
taunting you for being "alone," implying
that waiting for the right person
makes you "close-minded."

They stay in a sham of a
relationship they are unhappy in
with someone they've already
said they see no future with.

They will tell you that you ask
for too much,
want too much,
and imply you don't deserve it.

They will make you feel
wrong for reaching,
bad for wanting, and
unworthy of achieving your dreams.

They will steal your hope and
suck out your happiness -
dementors in disguise.

Do not let them.