Thanks for all the high fives and encouragement, Ladies. e.m.b. I love that suggestion. Nothing like a little added guilt/responsibility to get those last few feet or last corner rounded. I'm going to use that. I'm all for multi-tasking especially with two very important activities.
Now.
On to the second recent happening that has shown me that I'm further than I thought I was in the fear of others department.
I'm caring less and less about what people think of me. Not that I don't want people to like me or find value in my life's contributions...but...I'm not willing to lose sleep over someone's opinion about me.
Trust me. This is freeing.
Case in point. A few years ago I got a nasty, nasty personal email from someone who hated a review I wrote. The individual didn't pull any punches. And, very obviously, the person didn't actually READ the review. Scanned at best. It bothered me. Not devastated but bothered. But I kept writing reviews. Somehow I've slowly climbed into the top 1000 Amazon reviewers. I've not written reviews just because I want to be in the top 1000 because if that was the case I could write way more reviews and on odd things...most of my reviews are books and movies and those items take a major time commitment and sometimes reviews are tough to write. But. Obviously, I like something about the process. And until I no longer like the process, I'll keep writing them.
The other day I got a review comment that was just ridiculous. Someone didn't like a review I wrote and left a comment questioning how I could be a top 1000 reviewer and suggested that I be dropped several thousand notches in the rankings. And. I reread my review. I don't think I'd change a word. And when I reread the comment and clicked on the person who left it I just kind of felt sorry for someone who felt the need to attack with the passionate negativity that must make for a lot of acid reflux and angst.
So I thanked the person for taking the time to comment and moved on. And he's as entitled to his opinion as I am to mine. And I'm free from carrying his opinion around with me. Ahhh freedom. It's a fine thing.
