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Allow Yourself To Be Criticised

Just from observing the people around me, one of the biggest lessons I have learnt about life is that you have to be open to being wrong if you ever want to progress and achieve great things.

I have noticed that even within our local industry, many people are stagnant because no one is allowed to be honest about what they’re putting out. Even us as journalists feel the pressure to tiptoe around them, since you might bump into one of them at the grocery store.

But as a writer and creative myself, I believe we, unfortunately, have no choice but to become accustomed to the uncomfortable feelings that come with being judged, criticised, and – dare I say – disliked.

On the other side of these emotions is true freedom of creativity and expression – a freedom that allows you to explore your potential without the chains of fear holding you back, and without people lying to you to make you happy.

Be open to this as early as possible. If you are a young person reading this, accept this simple fact of life: not everyone is going to appreciate you or what you have to offer, but that does not mean you should hide yourself away in a closet or stomp your feet angrily. It also doesn’t mean you must fight everyone who disagrees with you. What it means is that other people having opinions about you is an inevitable part of life, and it won’t kill you.

The sooner you become comfortable with being imperfect, with knowing that there are always going to be people to whom you do not appeal, you can let go of the burden of caring too deeply about what they have to say.

The weight of constantly seeking approval becomes lighter and the air around you becomes easier to breathe. Your decisions

are no longer governed by the desire to be liked or validated by others. Instead, they are driven by a purer force: your own aspirations, values and creative impulses.

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to start creating more Instagram and social media content so that I could transition from being merely a consumer to a creator and, ultimately, monetise my work. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time, but I have always been plagued by hesitation.

I would find myself thinking, “What if people don’t like it? What if they ridicule me? What if they think I’m trying too hard or, even worse, not trying hard enough?” The list of anxieties seemed endless, each one keeping me from moving forward.

But here’s the thing: I realised that if I continued to let these fears dictate my actions, I would remain stagnant and I would forever be an observer of life rather than a participant. So, I took a deep breath and embraced the reality that not everyone is going to like what I create.

In the short time I have been working on this side project, I’ve learnt so much about my own humour, my writing, my editing and my persona. Creating without fear has allowed me to produce great videos and terrible videos, but each one taught me something.

A few days before uploading my most popular piece of content, currently with over two million views, someone in my inbox

told me I was talking bullsh*t.

It really hurt my feelings, but also kind of motivated me. I put more effort into the video quality, the scripting, the timing, and reached for the stars. Since then I haven’t looked back and I refuse to ever let some random nobody make me feel like I need their approval to enjoy myself.

It is liberating to realise that the people who criticise you are often just reflecting their own insecurities or limitations. Their opinions, while sometimes useful, do not have to be the compass by which you navigate your life. It’s okay to suck sometimes.

This is not about being arrogant or disregarding feedback completely. It’s about understanding that your worth has nothing to do with how many people like you or agree with you.

By embracing the discomfort of judgement or being misunderstood, you gain access to a higher level of freedom and you can start seeing life as a playground of possibilities, rather than a minefield of potential mistakes.

You give yourself permission to explore, to innovate and to push boundaries, without the fear of stepping on a metaphorical landmine of disapproval.

So, go ahead. Take that step. Start that project. Speak your truth. Write that story.

Create that content. Whatever it is, do it with the understanding that the real tragedy would be never trying at all.

Remember, freedom isn’t the absence of criticism; it’s the mastery of your response to it.

And that, my dear friends, is the kind of freedom worth fighting for.

– Anne Hambuda is a writer, social commentator and poet.

Follow her online or email her annehambuda@gmail.com for more.

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