Some of my biggest blogging breakthroughs happened after I fielded advice from critics.
Sound weird?
It’s not.
I used to assail critics. Hated them. Years ago in a blogging galaxy far, far away, I would rally the troops to shame critics. Or I fought these folks, debating, arguing, defending, and finding other ways to waste my energy on folks who did not resonate with what I did.
I eventually figured it out: instead of fighting these folks, I should be thanking these folks. Here’s why:
Critics tend to bring up your stuff. These individuals – through their own projection, which has all to do with them and which has nothing to do with you – usually elicit some strong emotional reaction on your part.
The anger, or embarrassment, or disdain, or jealousy, or rage, or annoyance, that you may feel after receiving criticism are the specific energies you have been resisting, that need to go, for the next stage of your development.
My Story
If someone criticized me or my eBooks, blog, or anything I created online, I tended to react, when I received criticism 9 years ago as a blogging newbie, or even 3-4 years ago when I began creating eBooks and courses.
My mind wildly raced ahead to read the criticism and to reply with a nasty response. Or maybe I would viciously defend my work. Maybe I would feel embarrassed, like a blogging fraud. Maybe I would feel like a failure.
The point is guys, I resisted these emotions for years. I did not want to face these energies. But a critic came along and helped trigger me in some way which allowed these energies to arise.
I sure as heck ain’t the blogger I am today unless I faced, felt, embraced and released these emotions because I never would have grown while burdened with strong emotions like:
- anger
- embarrassment
- feeling like I was never good enough
- jealousy
- rage
- any fear-based, lower energy, that surfaced when a critic poked or prodded me
Instead of fighting critics, be present after you receive criticism. What are you feeling? If you feel undisturbed, this means you are clear on whatever the criticism addressed. Cool. Proceed.
If you feel anger, or annoyance, or embarrassment, or some lower, bad-feeling emotion, thank your critic in your mind. These folks triggered in you long buried and ignored emotions that you needed to face, feel and clear, to reach the next stage of your blogging success.
Don’t stick your head in the sand or hide away after receiving criticism. Take a deep breath. Be present with the feelings that arise. I leaned more about myself and my blog from people who appeared to take cheap shots than you’d believe. All because I learned how to open up, feel my responses or reactions and yes, I learned how to thank critics for their volleys because they taught me about what I needed to release, even if their criticism was a projection that was all about them.
Key Distinction
I am not advising you to listen to the advice offered by critics. I advise you to focus on the *feeling* you experience when reading and hearing criticisms which appear to be lobbed your way.
Harsh critics are unhappy folks who project their unhappiness and lack of self love onto you. Can you imagine following the advice of an unclear, unhappy person with low self-esteem? Not a recipe for blogging success.
But if you remain present for the feelings which may or may not arise you can feel and clear these energies so you can move forward from a more fun-loving, energized, helpful and clear space, being unburdened of those lower energy drivers.