I played so small for so long because I feared getting criticized.
Fear overtook my being. How would I look if people published 1 star reviews in reaction to my eBooks? How would 1 star reviews affect my reputation? Nobody would buy my eBook, right? Wrong, on all counts. But I had such a terrible time getting over this fear of criticism during early portions of my blogging career. Fear screws with your blogging campaign because acting from energies of fear ensures failure….or muted success. I effectively hid away from criticism. Good deal. I avoided that major league problem. But the down side nailed me down fast. I drove little traffic and made little money because playing it safe only guarantees comfort and failure.
Pros Get Criticized
Pros get criticized, guys. Get used to it. Simply picture yourself succeeding online. See yourself prospering. This puts you into the proper frame of mind for being prepared to both succeed and to embrace all criticism and various forms of feedback that come with the blogging territory. This gig is all about being open to different energies, to varying experiences and to knowing people come along to give you clarity. Yep; critics simply give you blogging clarity on this journey. I recall my first few 1 star reviews. A few particularly biting reviews triggered fear in me, manifest as anger, embarrassment, shame, and a blanket feeling that nobody would buy my eBooks, because the eBooks must stink. Bingo. I had to feel these fears to clear the fears. I had to clear the fears in order to reach my next level of blogging growth.
Icons Provide Glowing Examples
I remember seeing Gary Vaynerchuk artfully handling a fresh, negative, 1-star review in response to one of his eBooks. He seemed entirely void of hurt, shame, or fear. He *was* void of these energies, humbly asking for more feedback. Dude has been criticized so many times he has no reaction to feedback. Why? He cleared all fear of criticism. Releasing the fear allows you to grow like a blogging weed, your campaign taking off because you are no longer burdened by the fear of criticism. Most bloggers anchor themselves down with the fear of criticism, so most bloggers never go pro. Pro bloggers know that as your presence expands, you attract legions of fans and some critics as well. Do not worry; critics simply project their fear-pain onto you. Get out of the way. No need to accept their projection because we see the world as we see ourselves. This is the simple secret of life. Get used to less advanced folks unloading their fear-pain onto you, via criticism. Most people do not control their minds. Naturally, folks who do not control their minds criticize people. Never take it personally. Critics speak of themselves.
Carry On to Prosper
Carry on, after getting a negative, nasty review. In my blogging criticism eBook, I explain how to profit from blogging criticism. Opportunities to express compassion – not contempt – arise every time you see a 1-star review in response to your eBooks. Be with the feelings triggered. Do you feel fear in any form? Thank the critic; these folks triggered feelings you previously had been unaware of, holding you back. Feel the energies. Clear the energies. Now you feel less of a visceral reaction the next time someone pans one of your eBooks. While other bloggers waste hours, days, or even weeks allowing critics to rent space in their mind, you coast gracefully through criticism in a few seconds. This is the greatest upside to knowing how to handle critics; waste no time on critics, seamlessly glide through these moments and proceed on toward greater blogging success.