Be so good they can’t ignore you (and prepare for haters along the way)

Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.
“Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.” – Kobe Bryant

Be so good that they can’t ignore you. And know that along the way, you will have detractors. You’ll have people making negative comments or disparaging remarks to try to bring you down to their level. Ignore the critics. Pay no attention to the haters. They are obstacles in your way to greatness.

If you dream big and act on your dreams, people will inevitably say things to you to make you question your decisions.

“Why do you work so hard?”

“I would never want to _____.”

“That sounds miserable.”

Don’t worry about what they say. Live your life and let them worry about living theirs. You’re striving for greatness, not mediocrity. As Tywin Lannister says in Game of Thrones, “A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of sheep.”

Responding to the haters

Leave the hurtful, mean-spirited comments from others on the ground like it’s a flaming bag of dog turd. Even if you stomp it out (by responding), you’ll carry around the smell of poop with you.

Ignore the haters. Know who you are and which people’s opinions you actually value. Don’t get too high or too low by the feedback from those who don’t know you or care about you.

Don’t respond to the haters.