Attacks on what you’re doing tell you you are on your path.
Everyone who accomplished something great did so facing massive criticism. Some harsher than others.
If you are crucified by the mainstream, congratulations. You are in good great company. Those who changed the world for the better are rarely liked.
That is, until their deed is done.
Facebook and Apple are not the kinds of “world changing” we’re talking about.
Changing humanity’s trajectory, significantly improving fundamental societal structures, and heralding in a new relationship between human beings –– these are the kinds of accomplishments we’re talking about.
When you’re up to something that significant you’re bound to attract those who hate what you are doing, those jealous of what you’re doing, those who fear what you’re doing.
You’re equally bound to attract those who love what you’re doing.
But if you’re up to something significant, you must remain true to what you’re doing and not let either the adoration or the hate beguile you you. For hate can easily turn to adoration and adoration turns to hate just as easily.
Humans are capricious.
Most of them would rather go along with the crowd. Most of them fear being ostracized by that crowd. And most of them also criticize that very same crowd.
Abraham calls the crowd “the peanut gallery”. Their opinion matters so little it’s not worth peanuts to such a one standing in their invincibility.
When you’re doing something significant, you’re likely to be alone in your pursuit. Something else Abraham says: It’s lonely on the leading edge. In the silence of that leading edgeness however, you discover life mastery.
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For those who know their invincibility, the peanut gallery’s opinion matters not one whit.
While it’s been often mis-attributed to Mahatma Ghandi, the homily, which more likely comes from union leader Nicholas Klein, still paints a compelling picture:
- You’re first ignored
- Then you are laughed at
- Then they try to abuse you
- Then they enshrine monuments to you
So many would-be world-changers give up when people ignore them. Or when they are laughed at. Many who get through those phases, give up when abuse shows up. The very few who continue reach the promise land of dreams fulfilled.
Glory goes to those who fulfill dreams. Not to those who just dream them.
In today’s connected world, no human can deliberately plan events such that their voice rises above the noise.
But when allied with All That Is, providence steps in, orchestrating on behalf of the connected individual, events which seem like lucky breaks or coincidence.
More often, though, the best, divinely-inspired events look like bad luck. Horrible luck even.
Here is what separates those who are enshrined from those who go unrecognized.
The enshrined understand their enemy’s true value.
Antagonism serves the iconoclast well. For ridicule, abuse, negative attention and opposition all amplify their message.
Recently, Perry was a guest on a Facebook Live event. Actually, he was the main course, as the audience was furious at things he had said recently. They were looking for their pound of flesh. Two pounds really.
What was billed as a discussion could have been described as an ambush had Perry not already known what was going to happen. The host and her audience attacked and ridiculed and laughed at Perry, his lifestyle, his beliefs. They tried to take him to task for his perspective on the transgender community.
But Perry is invincible. There is no task a mob can take him to because Perry has clarity. He doesn’t need agreement from the peanut gallery, which is often ignorant and lost in the what-is-ness of life.
Interestingly, while many of the loudest voices pilloried him during the show, some less vocal people heard what he was saying. Their experience will dramatically change their lives.
Though they will not be able to connect their participation in that event with life changes they will experience, the experiences will none the less offer opportunities otherwise not available.
Those who don’t understand you are going to ignore you. Those threatened by your authenticity are going to attack you. Then those who were ignoring you will join in the attack. Or they will watch from the sidelines. If you look like them, if they think you are part of their tribe they are going to try to force you to conform to their ideas of proper tribe behavior.
Very few tribes are as insecure and therefore fearful of change than the tribe known as “black people”.
But if you can continue, despite attempts to get you to conform to others’ opinion of how you should be, you will, over time, shape the world to your divinely-inspired opinion.
And you will discover how powerful you are. And how invincible you are.
Colin Kaepernick would not be where he is were he not shunned by the NFL and other major institutions including the Republican Party the casual racists and the rest of the peanut gallery.
People who have changed society or the world did so amidst harsh rebukes. Harsh rebukes are what people offer when they don’t understand.
For the world-changer, it’s best to let the peanut gallery do what it does best: assist in their own special way in your success.
Recognize attacks are part of the path and you win.