I was once on a mission to be liked by everyone. It was all I wanted: acceptance. Any medium of self worth came from what others thought of me and who they perceived me as. And the moment I felt any tension, any sort of clash, I was doing something wrong. So, I retracted. I dimmed my light. I began to question: why do I feel like I am doing my best, but I still feel some people have not accepted me for me? Or simply, why do they have a problem with me? I do not even know them!
My answer to my past self: If what you are doing might make someone uncomfortable, then it will likely translate to what feels like “hate.” Simply, you are doing something right.
Upon launching my book, I spent over a year crafting and perfecting. I was initially nervous about how people would respond to it. What if not everyone likes it? What if not everyone is going to support me? What if people absolutely hate the book? I had to get over this fear, because at the end of the day, not everyone is going to like what you are doing. And that is a good thing. Imagine living your life in such accordance to a rule book so that you are only met with acceptance, and opposition did not exist! Imagine with every step you took, the voice of guidance that you readily listened to was that of the people that do not support you, that do not want the best for you, that tirelessly judge you and diminish your worth…What would happen? You probably would not get anything done.
Imagine trying so hard to jump, to take a leap, but there were weights upon weights resting on your shoulders…so heavy that you simply could not jump. That is the equivalent of giving these so-called “haters” the power to stop you, the power to stop you from taking the leap. So, I removed these voices from the equation. I released myself from this so-called “mission to be liked,” and rather pushed harder for my individuality and my goals. And if they bothered someone, oh well.
