It’s the criticisms that linger. 100 positive reviews, and it’s the one negative one that echos in our mind as we go to bed at night (and still echoes when we wake up in the morning).
It’s the affirmations we crave. We write them into our journals and put them on our mirrors with a sticky note. But it’s never enough to drown out the criticisms.
It’s our response that causes one to echo and the other to fade.
Instead of retorting the criticism, thank them for new insight, and remind them you’re not a one-hit wonder. They’ll love your next project (which is already underway).
Instead of lapping up the praise, thank them for their kind words, but remind yourself that compliments are not costly. Plus, fans become critics when the wind changes directions.
