Critics

I have this thing I say to myself that releases my mind from causing me a great deal of guilt, and at least in my heart, it helps me to move ahead, albeit a little battle scarred at times. "Life is full of choices, and that was just one of them"; then I try to move through the consequences and move on with the rest of my life. It is at this point we need "real" friends; someone who understands your heart in spite of what you say or do. I am not speaking here in reference to "stupid people" who do dumb things as a way of life, but people who honestly made a decision and things did not turn out as planned.

How easy would it be to have a job as a food critic, (I have never had this job but I have had a great deal of experience with food preparation and production). A critic may waltz into an establishment and begin to "bash the borsht" or "slam the salmon" walk out the door and never go back; telling everyone he (or she) knows that the food was terrible. Never taking into account the sacrifices someone made just to open the doors, and the investment made to try to keep it running. 

I say (like the radio ads); "Way to go Mr Borsht boiler man" (then a rock star voice chimes in..."you beet peeling, pot stirring hero"...it sounds better in my head than it looks) "You who who got up before dawn to make sure that the soup was the best it could possibly be" (rock star voice again..."you rock with sour cream on the top") "You deserve a giant pat on the back", ("oh yeah, a giant pat on the baaaack")  

Alright, as you can tell I have never had a job in advertising either. The point That I am trying to make is that everyone makes choices and endeavors to do things the right way and maybe even help other people; but please understand...

 You will never do anything right or good; if you listen to critical people.

(so don't listen to the nay sayers; you can do great things)

I like this quote by Theodore Roosevelt...

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Sift through the critics assessments of your work; some of it might be good advice. If you have any doubt ask one your real close friends and see what they have to say; if it is critical and mean spirited, laugh it off and move ahead. You are the one on a mission, do no allow yourself to be side tracked by "little" people. You can do it!