Almost everything that’s changed the world in a positive way has been an unreasonable idea. It’s unreasonable, until it’s commons sense. That’s how change happens and so in order to make a difference in the world, it’s incredibly important to be able to ignore the naysayers. Some of the best and brightest from our community share their stories and advice below.
Pam Zamora
I have always had a life of trials and tribulations. I was born in Peru and came to the U.S. at a young age. It was hard for me to adapt to my new surroundings, seen as different and strange by others. Trying to fit in was difficult for me. I felt like an underdog at most times. Music is my outlet. I would be at home listening to music, writing music and singing along to my favorite bands. Read more>>
Chelsea Boxwell
I have a story for that one – In grad school, as I was truly finding my place as an artist—a wild, colorful, abstract painter, there was another student in, a male who worked in a similar abstract style, although mostly monochrome. We’d talk long into the night about our work sometimes, as many of us did, and I thought we were riffing off each other’s ideas in a supportive way. I’d shared how much I loved color but I couldn’t ‘make green or orange work’ in my paintings; every time I tried, I felt like the piece fell flat. That was just one of many things I talked about to multiple other students. Read more>>
Nicolle Toribio
The biggest advice I would give to those struggling with negativity around them is to stay true to yourself. Everywhere you go in life and in anything you do, there will always be people who have different opinions from you. The only control you have is choosing how it affects you and how to react. Our response to hate and negativity determines our future. Staying true to yourself, the goals and morals you have set out for yourself will lead you to success. I’ve always said to myself; the more the hate, the more you are succeeding. The most successful people in the world experience daily hate and negativity. Read more>>
Zilvinas Lapelis
I love my haters, I can take criticism very well and love to hear their input on my music. I believe every piece of advice or criticism I get, I can use it to not only better my music but better myself as a person. Read more>>
Krystal Kish
As an only child, I grew up in a very sheltered, southern baptist, military family ( I know that’s a lot to put together), and was the “good girl”. While I did learn very good lessons in life it didn’t leave a lot of room for independence or self growth out of the confines of what was “expected”. I went the path that most women did for my generation – marriage, family and being a good employee. I wanted to be a social worker when I graduated from high school but was told by my parents that I was too soft hearted and wouldn’t make it. I went the typical way and got married 6 months after graduation and went into the working world. Read more>>
Lekhitha Ammaresh, Bharathi Caldwell, Isha Kondapalli
In the entrepreneurial journey, criticism is inevitable. There will always be people who scrutinize every misstep and failure. At first, it was easy to get bogged down by this negativity. However, we’ve learned to view criticism as a sign that we’ve made a significant impact—it means we’re on the radar. We also recognize that sometimes there’s underlying truth in critiques, which can serve as valuable feedback for growth and improvement. Embracing this perspective allows us to stay focused on our vision while using constructive criticism to elevate our brand. Read more>>
Perpetua All Mother
Sometimes, I think persistence is the ultimate life challenge. Throughout my journey of creating and sharing my art, I’ve become really good at feeling negative emotions—both in expressing myself and in hearing the world’s response to my work. The most important thing is to push through it. To persist. Read more>>
Ayana Eason
In my journey with A.Beautiful Flwr, I’ve faced my share of doubters and negativity, especially when I first started. Moving to a new city and starting a floral business was risky, and not everyone understood or supported my vision. But I knew that this journey was bigger than just a business—it was a reflection of my own growth, resilience, and the desire to “give myself flowers” by living a life that felt meaningful and fulfilling. Read more>>
Sam Odeh
This world is full of people who are consumed by emptiness and envy. They have no sense of purpose or direction of their own and live their lives in redundancy running on a hamster wheel, either too afraid to take the leap to do what they believe in or are being held back by lack of self belief and conviction. So they lash out at anything and anyone who is different, who thinks for themselves and is outside the norm. They know better than anyone else, they are always right and everyone else is a fool. People like this should be pitied and ignored because they are everywhere, and more than likely closer to you than you think, some can be immediate family members. I used to let them in, and let these people get to me. Read more>>
