Don’t let the opinions of others cause you to feel badly about yourself and quit going after your dreams

Not everybody is going to like you or like your work. A friend of mine recently published a book and someone wrote a review of her book that wasn’t very flattering. It sent her into a state of depression. I tried to get her to see that it was silly to allow herself to become depressed over the opinion of one individual. I told her that not everyone is going to like her or like her work; and I’m telling myself the same thing right now after receiving an email from someone who read this blog and felt compelled to write me and tell me that I suck and that I’m an “ego trippin” fool.

People are entitled to their opinions; and it could be that most people will agree with the assesment of the individual who wrote me; but to what am I going to give importance? Am I going to give importance to my own agenda or to the agenda of someone who sends me an email meaning to insult me? If you give people the power to decide how far you go in life and people are of the opinion that you don’t deserve to go anywhere in life, where do you think you’re going to go in life? You’re going to go exactly where people think you deserve to go because you leave it to them to decide where you go.

Maybe I do suck and maybe I am an “ego trippin” fool. Will that be enough reason for me to quit trying to achieve what I’m trying to achieve? Even people who suck can succeed in life. Ego trippin fools can succeed in life; so sucking and being an “ego trippin” fool isn’t a fatal flaw. Furthermore, I’m not doing what I do to please the Geos of the world. This is not about getting people to like me. I’m not here chasing fans. It’s nice when people like you but you can still win even when they don’t.

If you’re putting yourself out there and people are reacting to you negatively, don’t let it depress you; and don’t quit on yourself because of it. Consider any constructive feedback you receive even if it doesn’t flatter you. Dismiss the feedback that’s given entirely to demean and insult you. Keep chasing after your dreams. Don’t judge yourself according to other people’s estimation of your value.

Image: Don’t Quit by T. Chiu via art.com