Under A Rock?
For those who “put it out there;” those who contribute to the world, not just consume; those who have the nuts to take risks; those who refuse to live under a fucking rock their whole life… here’s some great advice from a smart guy I’ve been following for years now, David Hooper of the Red Podcast:
Elbert Hubbard said, “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” “That’s good advice. If you look me (Hooper) up in Google or elsewhere, you’ll see there are plenty of people who think I’m full of it. So what? When you touch enough people, somebody is going to be pissed. And a lot of the time, the problem isn’t you, it’s them. So just ignore those folks who think (you) suck. You can’t please everybody. And if you try, you’ll please nobody.”
Trying to please everyone results in pleasing no one. Sounds simple enough, but I’ve been a victim of this over the years myself. In an honorable attempt to build an audience, I used to be pretty middle-of-the-road and “vanilla” in my content delivery approach. I was, and still can be, an excellent diplomat if I want to. Sure, there’s a time and a place for it, but diplomacy is overrated much of the time.
Today I embrace a much more honest, transparent, and genuine approach to my content delivery that is congruent with my real personality. Some like it; some don’t. And that is just fine. In fact, it’s preferred. My stuff isn’t for everyone; nor should it be; nor do I want it to be. We all gravitate towards people, places, and things that we find similar to our interests. And I’m interested in reaching people who are interested in the kinds of things I talk shiFt about here. People who embrace growth, and improvement, and being challenged to reach higher levels of personal and professional achievement. Haters, cynics, and critics… there’s a place for you too. Your feedback can be valuable at times. And who knows, maybe a few of you will even come over to the other side once exposed to the “truth” eventually.
I’ll leave you with another great quote that really resonates with me:
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
Stay tuned-in…