Learning to Let Go

It took me a long time to learn how to let go. This may mean something different to me than it does to you, but most likely not. I’ll explain why. Working in news means exposing yourself to people’s opinions of you. How much clout you give these so-called opinions is up to you.

Over the years, I’ve gotten a dose of the good, bad and ugly. Comments about my stories, my hair, my makeup, the way I dress. One woman once wrote to me, “Why don’t you take notes from the other News Anchors in Utah and try acting and dressing like them?”

“How pathetic.” I thought to myself. “Why should I try to be like anyone else but me?” I began to furiously write back a response filled with anger, contempt and a how dare you, who do you think you are attitude. Then I stopped myself. What was the point? What was the point of riling myself up, engaging in a conversation with a person who clearly wasn’t comfortable with who I was. It was a no-win situation.

For me. And that’s all who mattered between the two of us.

I have learned some people will love you, some will like you, some will be indifferent, some will simply hate you and you’ll never know why. And with the ever growing world of social media, COMMENTS, written behind a computer screen …fueled by a person you hardly see, or have never met…are rampant. Most often times, the words staring back at you on a computer screen are words this “person” won’t have the audacity to say to your face. Because for the most part, when we interact face to face …you are exposed to a human you can’t simply get to know on the world wide web the way you would in real life. Nothing replaces real human interaction. And if I tried counting how many times a person I’ve come face to face with has criticized me for the things people can so easily spew on social media, it may only be a hand full.

So remember, the next time you come across an unpleasing, unflattering or hateful comment on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter …whatever forum it may be, learn to let it go. Pay close attention to how the people around you feel. Even then, learn to accept that not everyone will love you. And that’s okay.

;)