Reality is truly what you believe it to be. If you believe there are no good men in the world, more than likely you rarely meet good men. If you believe that people are mean and cold-hearted, you probably run across a lot of people who exceed your expectations. And if you believe that doing something is a waste of time, it probably turns out to be just that.
Reality is Nine-Tenths Perception. What do I mean by that? I mean that what you believe (i.e., perceive to be true) has a really sneaky way of coming true. Your belief system is the quickest way to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just as you 'believe it' to 'achieve it,' if you negate it, it is fated to fail.
I grew up in an inner city neighborhood in Detroit. People told my family for years how bad the people were, how much crime we had and generally how unsafe we were. We knew things were bad, but we never, ever believed that everyone was a criminal or that there were no good people left in the city. And, sure enough, we met many good people and formed lifelong friendships with many. We were not blind or naive to danger - we practiced situational awareness and were careful who we let in our homes - but we also didn't let the prevailing sentiment destroy our positive view of Detroiters. And, for everyone who saw the bad in Detroit, bad things seemed to mysteriously happen to and around them.
Call it karma, call it attracting what is like you or whatever - we've all seen situations where we no more than decide what something is or is not (for instance, that it's impossible to lose 10 pounds), when that something comes true (we are forever stuck in a lose/gain cycle with that darned 10 pounds).
So what am I suggesting? That your reality be more of what you want it to be and less of what others think it should be.
If you are perfectly happy working for a non-profit, than quit listening to your friends who are advising you to shoot for the stars and get a job with a six-figure salary.
If you believe you could win a competitive scholarship, put your best efforts into crafting that winning essay or honing your athletic skills.
And if you believe you have what it takes to run for a council seat or sit on a local school board, don't let anyone stand in your way.
Don't let your reality come as a result of someone else's faulty 'perception.'