You will be criticised .. and that's ok.
I've recently come across a few views based on those who felt it was their obligation to meddle into my business and leave their 2cents worth of opinion on the way things are. Cool. All this based, however, on folk who haven't the least bit of idea how things "really" are, do not know the thought process, the ideas, the success and failures, the struggle, the fight, the way forward - shallow in depth and have been taken over by the new world order based on whats "socially" acceptable, and standards set by an obviously failing society which is in need of a major upgrade.
Of course some things do get to you - and sometimes you feel you have to explain yourself - if only for that moment - because we all want to be loved right? So i did speak my mind - be it in a not so calm manner at that time, and may have said a few words that upset a few - Oh well. But I got it out there and then instead of sitting on it and letting it kill my productivity.
Having done that in the heat of the moment (which is necessary sometimes depending on the situation), took a moment to calm down, and then it hit me - "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not please all of the people all of the time." The cliche. So easy to forget and yet so true and very unappreciated.
No-matter what you do - there will always be folk who are not happy with that. Why? Well - the simplest thing - everyone is an individual, have their own opinions and believe in them as much as you do in yours. What makes it worse is when folk looking from the outside and don't really understand a situation (and they always think they do). So let them be - let them be entitled to their opinion. Do not let them change your values, beliefs and goals. Do it your way. And surround yourself with people with the same values - otherwise it will all just be disappointment after disappointment. Take the criticism on board (the constructive bit that is - we're not perfect), take the hating on board - use it all as much needed fuel toward achieving your goals - and be happy as well, because clearly you are making a difference.
There will always be criticism. People will set standards for you - and treat you in a way THEY would never want to be treated, Its so easy to criticize everyone and everything else instead of looking deep inside ourselves and asking questions about our own lives. "Why am i doing this?" "For whom?" "Would they do the same for me?" "Am I happy?"
"Who am I?"
We spend the most important years of our lives trying to "be something/someone" instead of focusing on being ourselves - and then "DO" something. Today is the only day you have - live for it. Have a goal and a target - but be in a situation where if you're told you have one week to live, you wont sit and wonder "what happened to my life." Do not let your goals and targets stop you from living. - after all how many times have you changed your goals to adjust to life's circumstances? You should be able to say "If I die tomorrow, I'm fine, I been blessed". Do what YOU want to do - be what YOU want to be - and if that's a cookie cutter conformist who follows the masses changing with every "new" socially accepted trend, changing like the British weather, abandoning your true background and values - so be it. So long it makes you happy. Just don't instill that on someone else. We are individuals for a reason.
Ive said it over and over again, and I think folk haven't really taken a second to really think about it, or think I were just talking outta my bottom : THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS RESPECT. Respect a fellow human being until they give you reason not to respect them. Then we wont be so quick to criticize. Maybe then we can take a second to "listen" and understand without passing judgement.
Remember - there's people who support and believe in you, and if you change your ways to suit the please those who not happy with you - then the folk who used to support and believe in you might will not be happy with you either.
Know what you stand for - and stick by it. Life's too short to worry about everyone's opinion. Prioritize.
And most of all : SMILE. Life's beautiful :) :)
