Real or Not Real?

So I have been having trouble lately with deciding who is lying through their teeth and who is telling the golden truth. So many tabloids and so many stories. So many friends and wanna-be's. This troubling issue will be my topic for the day. But as confused and angry as I am I will take the high road and put my famous optimistic spin on it.

Don't listen to 100% of what people say. No matter how much the gold from the honey dipped words gleams, take your daily dose of salt with it. And vis-versa (as Train says) "when words keep you from feeling good use them as firewood and let them burn." People will tell you they love your work just to make you happy or to make you go away. People will also tell you how horrible your work is to hurt you intentionally or to make themselves feel better. Very few people will give you the real talk on your work and those are the ones you must sort out from the others. I have my gurrrls in that spot for sure. But you can take the glass half full approach with the other people too.

For the ones who just love love love your work with their pitiful smiles: listen closely to what they say. In my experience people will try to prove themselves worthy by pointing out their favorite parts. I have actually taken this approach and used it myself. But I use it because of the lesson I have learned from it. Usually the parts people remember are your best bits. Maybe try to focus on where to take those or maybe elaborate on them. You can also see how they were written and put that technique into other parts of your writing.

For the ones who think you have no potential: listen closely to what they say. They will point out parts to you that need to be fixed. Go back and work on them. Period.

Finally, the last lesson from both of these situations is don't let your pride get in your way. Don't let people puff your pride up to where you think you are Lord Voldemort and think you are invincible. But also don't let people knock you down so much that you feel worthless and give up. Too much pride and your work will become stale. Too little and you work may end.

Summary: take what people say and twist it to be constructive. It can always be constructive. You have to really look for those rainbows on a rainy day (and that was kind of cheesy so I apologize).

And for Bailey: I have been reading my microbiology book lately! Yay for school. But Siriusly the last book I read that I had a hard time putting down was the Hunger Games. I read the first book in a week, the second in two days, and the third in 12 hours. And my fiance was rushing me so he could read them. But I know you have read that one. So how about Narnia? I know it's a classic and it's been out forever but it's not a bad read. I am reading it now. Between my micro chapters of course :)

Author: Chuck Palahniuk