Other people just don’t care about you!
Ok, that might sound a bit provocative. Of course, some people care deeply about you and your life. But think for a moment about how busy you are. Your daily life is consumed with tasks, worries, mistakes to avoid, and rebuilding efforts. How much time do you really have to care about what's happening in others' lives?
My dad is in politics (I know, boo hiss, I hear you), and my sisters and I were just chatting the other day about a client of my brother-in-law. At their first meeting, this client boldly declared, "I hate your father-in-law; he is a ****." My brother-in-law gently pointed out, "That's my kids' grandfather you're talking about." My sisters and I were ready to laugh because this environment is what we've grown up in—decades of hearing people either praise or criticize my dad. My sisters and I have had to accept how ‘unfair’ this seems, knowing that defending him would only stoke the fire.
When my brother-in-law told this story, he mentioned that in the six years of his business relationship with this client, the client has not missed a chance to express his anger about my dad. One of my sisters pointed out how ridiculous this was—his anger was wasted on someone who didn’t even know he existed.
This got me thinking about how often we hold back because we're afraid of what others will think. The truth is, we can't be liked by everyone. If we try to attract everyone, we end up attracting no one.
In Business, This is Even More Important
If you adapt yourself to every criticism, firstly, you're going to make yourself ill. It’s impossible to be perfect for everyone. Secondly, even if you try, everything will be a compromise. You will be demotivated because these compromises will ensure that you no longer have a purpose other than to please everyone—who will never be satisfied—and you will lose all personality.
A business that compromises for everyone might be 'nice,' but we all know that nice is boring. While nice might be stable, it’s not exciting. In our highly competitive industry, how do you fall in love with 'nice'? You need to be special, valuable, and important, and to do that, you cannot please everyone.
Focus on being true to yourself and your brand. Embrace your unique qualities and let your true personality shine. The right people will appreciate you for who you are, and those are the ones who truly matter. They are your tribe.
Don’t let the fear of criticism hold you back.
Remember, if you try to attract everyone, you will attract no one.
