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.
Aniketh Nair
As a person who takes a lot of risks, I get a lot of haters and doubters who think I’m not capable. When I quit my corporate job in 2023, when layoffs were really bad, I got a lot of criticism from family and friends. “You’re not good enough”, “I think it’s a stupid decision”, “It’s too hard for you”. These were just some of the stabs I took after I made this move. I like to think of it as, this is when I entered the storm. Read more>>
Ivy Darnell
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life: The way people treat you, has more to do with them as a person, than it does with you. People tend to reflect how they feel onto others. If someone wouldn’t feel as confident as you look in a specific outfit, they may tell you that it just doesn’t suit you. Another example could be if you’re trying for a new promotion, but your friend could never see themselves putting in that much work, so they may tell you that you shouldn’t aim so high. Read more>>
Blood Draugr
The official answer is I persist due to vampirism and drinking blood out of the skulls of the haters. The unofficial answer is that I continue my artistic journeys by making art for myself and myself alone. I do what I do because it’s fun, not because I’m seeking the approval of others or attempting to conjure mainstream appeal (if I were, I wouldn’t have chosen such a niche genre of music to perform as metal). Read more>>
Tiffany Wilson
Persisting despite the negativity from naysayers can be challenging, but it’s essential for personal growth and success. Here are some strategies that have helped me stay focused and resilient: 1. Developing a Strong Self-Belief
Knowing My Value: Reminding myself of my strengths, accomplishments, and what I bring to the table. Confidence in your abilities helps deflect negativity.
Setting Personal Goals: Focusing on my own goals and ambitions rather than seeking approval from others. Having clear objectives keeps you motivated. Read more>>
5elect
“In hip-hop, it’s very common to have haters and naysayers. I’d like to think it doubled when I added the Christian label to it. Being in Christian hip-hop means combining two niche genres, and that brings criticism from all sides—those who dislike hip-hop, those who oppose Christianity, and even some Christians who believe hip-hop can’t be Christian. Read more>>
Nyja & Jayson Prior
We try to make an active effort to be positive and ignore negativity. We know how far we’ve come and the work that’s gotten us to where we are. Nothing can take that away from us and we look forward to seeing what the future holds, without worrying about those who say we can’t achieve our goals. Read more>>
Ashley Jordan
Using my voice and influence to tackle topics like domestic violence or family violence can definitely be tough. Most people tend to shy away from the topic due to being involved or going through it behind closed doors. It’s tough to help others with the same problem you’re struggling with personally. Being a survivor and experiencing it myself, a lot of people think I could have left or I allowed myself to be a victim. Even thinking I’m weak because I “allowed” myself to go through that situation. Read more>>
Taylor Augusta
I stay persistent on my journey and refuse to let “haters,” as they say, throw me off track. I mean, I’m a New Yorker, for God’s sake. I never imagined I would be in the position I am today, but I firmly believe there’s a higher power at play and that I am exactly where I’m meant to be at this point in my life. Read more>>
Ayvianna Snow
One issue many indie filmmakers face is the difficulty of finding an audience for their work- there is no clear pathway for an independent company to get their film into a cinema; many indie features get signed by an aggregator who chucks their film onto several streaming platforms with no care or thought- the modern-day equivalent of being on the bottom shelf in BlockBuster. Read more>>
Eric Carr
Haters are a good indication that you’re doing something right. Don’t try to do anything. But especially don’t try to make everyone happy. Middle of the road boring, doesn’t trigger anyone but it doesn’t excite them either. Figure out what you do and what you stand for and why it’s valuable and stick to it. Ignore the noise. And ignore the people that are just looking for something wrong with what you do. Read more>>
