Be So Good, They Can't Ignore You: Why Haters Are Necessary For Your Success

Life's an uphill battle, filled with obstacles and tests. Anyone chasing a dream knows that there is no smooth road, and it's the journey along the way that builds the person at the end. Success wouldn't be success without the trials and tribulations it takes to get there, because anything worth achieving must involve some sacrifice and hardship.

Many times, the hardest obstacles to pass on your way to achieving your dreams are the people you meet along the way, the people waiting to see you fail. The words and opinions of others can impede us from the next step, bruising our egos enough to give up right then and there. Too many times have I witnessed talented, motivated individuals sink under the opinion of one hater, one non-believer. But why?

You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period. -Chris Gardener

People are competitive by nature. It's hard to admit, but jealously is an innate trait in all of us and sometimes you can't help but wish ill on others. Watching people strive and get ahead of you can be hard, turning you bitter and scorned. Usually the opinions of haters are just masks of envy and respect. Their opinion should be nothing more than a flattering token of someone wishing they could do what you're doing.

Life is about dreaming, it's about pushing towards the unknown, the unattainable. It's about making the unfathomable a reality. Dreams are only dreams until you make them real. And you are the only person standing in your way. To blame anyone else for your failures but yourself is both naive and blind.

Haters are necessary to your achievement. We need that voice in our heads, pushing us when we want to give up. We need haters to keep us going, they are our fuel. Because sometimes it's the opinions of others that matter more than your own. You can only push yourself so much. Sometimes you need that outside force telling you that you're not good enough. You need that extra tug, the extra reason to keep going. By no means should you be pursuing a goal due to the whims of others, but you should use them as another motivating factor.

Be so good, they can't ignore you- Steve Martin

The opinions of others compose a very powerful force. Most of our daily actions are molded around other people's perception of us. Knowing this, we must learn to use our obsession with people's opinions as a positive factor in our success. Rather than letting the words of others bring us down, we must learn to harness the power of those words to motivate us towards our goal.

So as you think about all the haters in your life, all the people who have ever told you that you're worthless or not good enough, remind yourself that they are there for a reason: to keep you going. Remind yourself that they are necessary to your success.

They Push You Further

When you have no fire under your ass, you're not gonna run as fast. If you have a group of people waiting for your demise, you are only going to work that much harder.

They Keep You Motivated

They will always be there on the sidelines, cheering you towards failure, reminding you of what you have to do to prove them wrong. They will be there when you forget what you're fighting for. Use them as a constant reminder of your goals.

They Keep You Grounded

Success can get to your head more quickly than you think. Haters have the ability to keep things in perspective. Sometimes you need those people telling you what you're doing wrong or why you're not the sh*t, so you don't get a big head. They will always be there to remind you that you could be better, you could do better.

They Remind You

They will be there when everything else gets cloudy and confusing and you have a hard time keeping your mind set on what's actually important. They will always be the reminder that you're not doing what you said you were going to do. When your friends aren't going to tell you what you did wrong, they will. Sometimes you need that honest voice, even if it's not what you want to hear.