Social media is a brilliant way to express yourself and to connect with others on a certain level.
It is no where near as good as a coffee and a good chat.
As a mum of a toddler, who lives a good hour and some from our main city, it creates a great outlet and community for me to journey with.
The only problem is the haters.
You know them.
Every time you post something, you can feel them roll their cyber eyes and you get ready for their tirade.
Haters gonna hate.
Doesn’t matter what you endeavour to do, there is always going to be someone who has something critical to say.
A good dose of honest feedback from a friend who has your interest at heart is very different but the people who criticise and hate on people to make themselves feel somewhat more superior are just plain mean.
Mean hearted people who need to get a life.
Theodore Roosavelt wrote this speech over a hundred years ago and it still brings wisdom to our today.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Are you struggling to create because of criticism?
Do you have a arch enemy who is sole bent on bringing you down?
Get in the arena.
If you have left the arena because someone hated on you, get back in again.
In an amazing speech recently by Tim Minchin when he received a honorary doctorate at UWA recently. He said this about haters…
Define Yourself By What You Love
I’ve found myself doing this thing a bit recently, where, if someone asks me what sort of music I like, I say “well I don’t listen to the radio because pop lyrics annoy me”. Or if someone asks me what food I like, I say “I think truffle oil is overused and slightly obnoxious”. And I see it all the time online, people whose idea of being part of a subculture is to hate Coldplay or football or feminists or the Liberal Party. We have tendency to define ourselves in opposition to stuff; as a comedian, I make a living out of it. But try to also express your passion for things you love. Be demonstrative and generous in your praise of those you admire. Send thank-you cards and give standing ovations. Be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff.
Victory comes when we have a go, whether it is outstanding or not, the fact you have jumped in the arena is the main thing.
Just have a go.
Start that business you have longed for,
Start that blog you have had an inkling for,
Quit your job and do what you have thought about doing over and over again.
Step up
Step out
Live despite the haters and their gangs.
A
