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Be Thankful for Your Critics · The Daily Writer

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hey friends, welcome to episode 128 of the Smart Business Writing Podcast.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Kent Sanders, and this is the show dedicated to helping you share your message, increase your impact, and grow your business through the power of writing.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, before we get into this episode, I want to ask a very small favor.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: I've created a survey to discover what my readers and listeners most need when it comes to their writing skills.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And this survey will help me to develop podcast content, books, and other material that I'll be sharing with you this year.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: But in order for me to know what's most helpful, I need your input.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is a simple one question survey that literally takes one minute or less, and you can access the survey by going to KentSanders.net slash survey.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be really grateful if you would consider doing this.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Again, it really helps me out a ton, and I promise this is the last time I'll mention it on the show.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: I've said something about it the last few episodes just in just in case people have missed an episode here or there.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: But again, you can do that by going to Kent Sanders.net slash survey.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: So again, thanks so much in advance.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: One of our most basic human needs is to be loved and accepted by other people.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: And for the most part, we don't like conflict.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: We tend to avoid doing things that other people will question or will find unacceptable.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why setting and achieving higher goals, I think, is so hard.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Not only do we have to operate out of our comfort zone, but whenever we set and try to achieve higher goals, we're also breaking out of the comfort zone of the people around us.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And by definition, that makes other people uncomfortable.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: A few years ago, my wife Melanie was having dinner with a friend of hers from our college days, and she mentioned to this friend that I was working on a book.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: This was the second book that I was writing.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: And her friend suddenly became very negative and said, Why in the world would he want to do that?
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's so stupid.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Well, she came home and she told me what this friend had said, and I've known this friend literally for decades, so it wasn't out of character for them necessarily, sad to say.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: But when I learned this friend had said that, it motivated me even more.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: But it also reminded me of an important truth.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the truth.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Not everybody in your life will understand or appreciate your goals.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And to be even more blunt, there will be some people who actively oppose you whenever you try to achieve bigger things in your life.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this goes for your writing as well.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're trying to reach new heights in your writing this year.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've started a blog.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're writing a business book.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're working on a novel.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're doing a podcast.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're working on some short stories.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're getting more active on social media and putting yourself out there more and sharing your content and your thoughts and your ideas.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the truth is that anytime you share your ideas or you reach for new heights in your life, there's going to be people who misunderstand you.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: They don't get what you're trying to do.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: They will think that you're self-centered by sharing your ideas, and they might even think that you don't have a right to be successful.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: You will have critics, detractors, naysayers, and negative people in your life.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that is simply a fact.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: And here's why that happens.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: When you do the work and whenever you put your writing and your content out there, it is actually a silent judgment on those people who are not doing something with their lives.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's a referendum on their lack of goals, their mediocrity, and their desire to stay comfortable.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: And naturally, whenever you do that, that's going to make other people feel uncomfortable.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uncomfortable people often snap back or they give you the silent treatment, or they do things in passive aggressive ways that show that they disapprove of what you're doing.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Teddy Roosevelt's speech called Citizenship in the Republic, and he gave this speech in Paris in the year 1910.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: So this has been 11 years ago, but it's so applicable to us today.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: He said this 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.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: 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.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: I can't think of a more appropriate quote to share as we're talking about the critics that we all have in our lives.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: So when it comes to your writing, don't be surprised that when you put it out there for other people to read and to judge, some people are going to dislike it and some people are going to be naturally critical.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: It is a totally natural response to the fact that you're reaching higher and you want to have a bigger impact on the world.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, critics are a sign that you're making a difference and doing something good in the world.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: So in a strange way, we should be thankful for the critics.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: So this week, as you look around you, as you see people in your life who maybe don't approve of your goals, who don't approve of you trying to better yourself or create content that impacts others, who don't who don't approve of the fact that you're trying to make a difference in the world.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Be thankful for those people because those people are an indication that you're doing something really cool.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that this inspires you.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of a counterintuitive approach to our critics.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Normally we get upset at them and we despise people in our lives and we resent people who don't want to go along with us and who don't support us.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: But be thankful for those people because they're an indication that you're actually reaching higher and trying to move further in your professional and your personal life.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hey guys, those are my thoughts, but I'd love to hear what you think about what I've shared on this episode.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever been criticized for having bigger goals or for putting your writing out there?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: And if so, how did you handle it?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: You can do that by heading over to KentSanders.net slash one twenty-eight.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's KentSanders.net slash one twenty-eight, and leaving a comment on this episode.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that's also where you'll find the show notes and the links.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: Here's what's coming up on the next couple of episodes.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: We've got some really, really good stuff.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: I am pumped and I'm super excited for the content that we have coming up, not just the next couple episodes, but really the guests that we have lined up over the next few months and all the things that I'm going to be sharing with you.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And in fact, when I this is going to sound really silly, but whenever I just said I'm pumped, I got an immediate mental image of, do you remember that Saturday Night Live skip from back in the 80s?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: It was Hans and Franz, uh, where they were like, we're going to pump you up.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I actually had some speech students who did a sketch about that last fall in my college speech class.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: So for some reason that's on my mind.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, I truly am pumped up.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm truly am excited about all the cool stuff that we're going to be sharing here on the show.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: So stick around.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: There is lots and lots more stuff coming up over the coming weeks and months.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that being said, on the next episode, number 129, I'm going to be talking about how to repurpose your content.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: I love talking about how to repurpose content because it's going to make your life a lot easier and you're going to get way more traction out of the content that you're already creating.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then on Friday, episode 130, my friend Trisha Prouse is going to come and talk about how to be successful with your social media marketing.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is an area where a lot of us struggle with, and we're not ever quite sure if we're doing it right.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: But she's going to share with us some really practical tips.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: She's an expert in this area, so I'm really grateful for that.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: So be on the lookout for those two episodes, and I've got lots more stuff coming up after that.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Once again, and I promise this is the final time I will ever mention this on this podcast until I do the next survey.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is a reminder to complete the survey that I mentioned earlier.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: You can go to Kent Sanders.net slash survey.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Again, I'd appreciate it if you'd be willing to do that for me.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, thank you so much for listening.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: This has been lots of fun.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you've gotten something out of this episode.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that your writing has the power to change people's lives.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I will see you in the next episode.