The comment that stung

It is WayMaker Wednesday. Today we check where the criticism is coming from.

The Question

When has someone ahead of you ever mocked you for trying?

The Thought

Think of the last person who mocked what you are building. Now ask one question: are they where you want to be?

They never are. The people ahead of you do not hate you. They remember how hard the first steps were, so they either cheer you on or stay quiet and keep working. Hate does not come from above. It comes from beside you and behind you, from people who feel your movement as a judgment on their standing still.

That changes what criticism means. When the jab comes, check where it came from before you let it in. A note from someone ahead of you is coaching. Take it. A shot from someone behind you is not about your work at all. It is about their seat.

And it works the other way too. The day you catch yourself rolling your eyes at someone else's attempt, that is the tell. You are not above them. You are stalled, and their movement is making it obvious.

You lose real days to this. The comment replays while you drive. You soften the next post so nobody laughs. You shrink the work so it draws no fire. All of it to please people who are behind you.

Stop paying that toll. The people ahead of you are pulling for you. Listen to them instead.

Put It Into Action

The Source Check. This week, run it on every jab that lands.

• Write down the last criticism that stung.
• Ask one question: is this person where I want to be?
• If yes, take the note. If no, drop it and get back to work.
• Hate has an address, and it is always behind you.

If someone you know is shrinking their work to dodge the laughs, send them this.

Forge Forward,

Jon Mayo