"You Wrote that on AC? What Will People Think of You?"

One of my earlier attempts at writing online is a poem called, "Tired." The first person I told (let's call her Angie) told me she would have liked to share my poem with others but she was afraid people would think I was stressed out all the time. So, she decided she was not going to share my poem with others.

I was angry and let what she say affect me. Because of what she said, I did not tell a lot of people I had started writing online. Recently, my in-laws discovered I was writing online. Their reaction was different. They said, "We are proud of you. And why did you not let us know?"

Two different reactions. One positive and one negative. Since then, I've wondered about how I react to people's reactions to my online writing. Obviously, I can not control what people say about my writing. But I can control how I react to what they say. I can decide to be thankful I have readers or I can decide to get angry and give up on my writing.

I can think about what people say. For example, Is what Angie true? If true, how can I change or fix that? If false, is it worth arguing over and fighting for? Sometimes, it may be best to keep quiet and accept her opinion as her own. Other times, it may be worth it to explain and fight for what you believe in.

I can also choose who I spend time with. Spending time with negative people drains my energy, sometimes. So, I can decide to spend time with people who help me grow and become a better person.

I can keep on writing regardless of what people say. I can not please everyone. I can not control what they say. But does that mean, I should give up? Nope. I can keep trying and keep working on becoming a better writer regardless of the pay or what people say.

I can stop worrying about what people say. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone has a different life experience and may not always agree with me. So, why worry about what they think?

I am still new at online writing (I also write for examiner as the Seattle stay-at-home moms examiner and the third culture kids examiner). Comments (positive and negative) are all part of the job. Everyday, is a chance to grow. Everyday is a great way to decide what my priorities are and how I will react to what people say.