Learning not to care about what other people think
If you go back and read some of my blog posts from 2005 you'll see a different kind of fire and passion. I wrote a lot about how the older generation at my former job treated me like a little kid and didn't treat me as an equal. I was reminded of this today when I read David's post about older entrepreneurs.
Honestly, this stuff used to really bother me. It used to really bother me when my friends/family/co-workers/fellow YE's questioned my entrepreneurial decisions. I'd usually get defensive and try to justify myself. I knew I didn't have to, but I felt this innate need to justify myself to everyone. Being at the top of my class in high school, going to a great college and getting great internships, I was used to everyone singing my praise...and never being criticized because everything came easy to me and every choice turned out great.
Now I really could care less. Don't get me wrong, when people talk I listen. I just don't always act. One of the great things about being human is that we have free will to think and believe what we want to believe. I can't control your thoughts, and you can't control mine. The only thing that really matters to me is that I can look in the mirror everyday and know that I'm doing what I believe is right. I've never walked in someone else's shoes, and no one has ever walked in mine.
So constructive (and non constructive) criticism doesn't really get to me. It gets processed and then I forget about it. I never consciously made a decision to become like this, I think it's part of my maturing process. Nonetheless, I'm much happier not worrying about what other people think. The beauty of life and business, is that there are infinite paths to success and happiness, and my path might not be appealing to you, but that's not my problem.
It's also not my problem if you're taking out your lack of happiness on me and trying to put me down to bring yourself up - I'm not playing that game. One of the saddest things a human can do is let other people's thoughts paralyze you. You may never be good enough for them - it doesn't matter.
Honestly, this stuff used to really bother me. It used to really bother me when my friends/family/co-workers/fellow YE's questioned my entrepreneurial decisions. I'd usually get defensive and try to justify myself. I knew I didn't have to, but I felt this innate need to justify myself to everyone. Being at the top of my class in high school, going to a great college and getting great internships, I was used to everyone singing my praise...and never being criticized because everything came easy to me and every choice turned out great.
Now I really could care less. Don't get me wrong, when people talk I listen. I just don't always act. One of the great things about being human is that we have free will to think and believe what we want to believe. I can't control your thoughts, and you can't control mine. The only thing that really matters to me is that I can look in the mirror everyday and know that I'm doing what I believe is right. I've never walked in someone else's shoes, and no one has ever walked in mine.
So constructive (and non constructive) criticism doesn't really get to me. It gets processed and then I forget about it. I never consciously made a decision to become like this, I think it's part of my maturing process. Nonetheless, I'm much happier not worrying about what other people think. The beauty of life and business, is that there are infinite paths to success and happiness, and my path might not be appealing to you, but that's not my problem.
It's also not my problem if you're taking out your lack of happiness on me and trying to put me down to bring yourself up - I'm not playing that game. One of the saddest things a human can do is let other people's thoughts paralyze you. You may never be good enough for them - it doesn't matter.
posted by Adam McFarland at
4/27/2007 11:22:00 PM
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