ArtBizVoice: Criticism, A Failure's Best Friend

Dear Mr Trump,

Wow what a beautiful sunny day today after all the dreary week. I bet those who had snow last evening even have it brighter and even more beautiful.

All of those dark days made me think of something. I think one of the most difficult things I have had to over come in all these years has been my own attitude. You see its very easy for someone who is isolated by poverty and disability to fall into a very disgruntle critical view of life. It really isn't helped much by people who surround you that are also disgruntle and critical.  This is a trap that a lot of  very talented people fall into when they think they can not move forward. Then they make the fatal error. Blaming those who are successful.  Its the kiss of death, I think.

I caught myself one time falling into the trap. I criticized a group of people. The very group that was most likely to be  my clientèle. I haven’t a clue why I did it except it was a really bad habit.  Well a competitor used it against me right while I was standing there. Yes, the result was it killed my business. There is nothing worse than being better than your competitor in every way and having them steal your business right out from under you because you had the bad habit of only seeing the wrong and never pointing out the good. What a hard lesson. Yet,  I am thankful I learned it.

Most disabled people already have isolation and poverty against them. Those are pretty insurmountable without the favor of people who believe in what they are doing. Maybe people in poverty criticize those who have wealth and success, because they have not figured out that is the successful that can help lift them up.

 An artist, or business man for that matter, just does not know where that help is going to come from.  So a really smart person is not going to criticize or be little anyone on any economic level.  Smart people know that the favor they need can come at any time from the most unsuspecting directions.  I think criticism is in fact a form of offensive insulting behavior that destroys any hope the budding business person has of getting the help they need to be successful. 

I think that most people, including successful people, already know their weaknesses. They don’t need them pointed out and to be constantly reminded of them.  I think we want to favor those who favor us.  And we favor those who are kind and helpful to us. It works both ways.

What a great thing it would be to help people who want to be successful to be positive instead of critical.

Wishing you a very wonderful and safe weekend,
~L