Don’t Let Your Critics Win

Are you letting your critics win?

 

Have you ever let someone talk you out of being positive or bright?

 

Back in 2004, I started a blog called Girl in the D. It was about the positive aspects of Detroit and designed to shed some light on a city full of treasures that is dominated by negative media and stereotypes.

 

Most people loved the blog. Every week, dozens of positive comments and emails from people in Detroit, in Michigan and all over the country would flood my inbox.

 

But for every 100 positive comments I received, there were 1 or 2 negative critical comments ridiculing me, my posts and my city.

 

I was “too much of a Pollyanna” or my message was ridiculous. I was told that I didn’t know a thing about Detroit (though I lived there for five years) and that I should stick to areas I knew well, like the wealthy suburbs. I was called a fake Valley girl and my city called a third-world country. We were both called much worse, but you get the picture.

 

In the beginning, I allowed these critics to create fear and doubt in me. I second-guessed myself and what I was doing. I shrunk down and stopped promoting the blog or telling people about it.

 

Thankfully, my amazing husband gave me a pep-talk and told me the truth: the negative comments were only opinions. And they were false. He told me I was doing something amazing but that it was up to me to continue carrying a positive message to a world who desperately needed it – especially the people criticizing me.

 

He told me it was my choice: I could allow a few negative comments to stop me. Or I could choose to see them as opinions and keep on doing my thing.

 

I chose the latter.

 

Today, I know there will always be naysayers and there will always be critics. And that’s okay. They are entitled to their opinions, and their opinions aren’t facts.

 

I also know it is my choice if I let them dull my sparkle or not.

 

How about you? Have you ever had anyone try to dull your sparkle?

 

How did you deal with it?