Minimizing the Opinions of Others
Minimizing the Opinions of Others
Written by Cheryl Smith
One of the many things I have observed as a longtime online writer is the ebb and flow of the opinions of others. Putting yourself out there, being real and transparent, and sharing from your heart opens the door for others to react and respond, and their feedback can either distract and discourage or affirm and encourage you.
Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned over the past nearly 12 years that are not only for online authors but can be applied to anyone who deals with the opinions of others. Don’t we all?
10 Lessons in Minimizing the Opinions of Others
1. People’s opinions are as varied as people themselves.
They hold the potential to elevate you to pedestal status one day, then to trample your name (and work) in the mud the next. People’s opinions vary immensely from one person to the next. A thousand people can read your written words and come away from them with a thousand interpretations. Those interpretations can be completely off-track or the reader can totally “get” what you are trying to say.
2. Stay true to yourself.
Don’t be swayed. Don’t second-guess yourself. Stay true to who you are and what you have been called to do. My husband always tells me to do what brings me peace, and following his advice is extremely liberating. Continue to do what gives you peace and allows you to lie down at night with a clear, clean conscience. Don’t conform to what others think you should do, say, or be.
3. Praise isn’t always what it seems.
There are those who have mastered the art of being able to ruin a perfectly good compliment by adding a subtle, passive-aggressive insult to the mix.
4. Jealousy is cruel.
Your success can and will bring out the worst in others. Song of Solomon 8:6 says, “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave.” People who are driven by jealousy are much more likely to lash out online than insult you to your face. If someone is jealous of you and/or your work, remember it is their problem, not yours. Press on unfazed by the issue(s) of those who criticize you.
5. Stay grounded.
There will be highs. There will be lows. The important thing is that you are affected by neither. Whether someone left a one-star rating or a five-star review changes nothing.
6. Toughen up.
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