This article, “Be Bold (Part Two)” originally appeared in my weekly newsletter but I wanted to share it again here. Don’t receive my newsletter? Sign up here (the blue box on the right) and get the weekly news delivered to your inbox.

Yes, friends, it’s that time again. Time for a reprint of this summertime article. I hope you will enjoy Part Two of this story.

Part Two – Turn A Deaf Ear To Your Critics

WARNING!  This article contains material that some may deem offensive.

So after J.J. calmly pulled up his trunks and jumped in the pool still smiling, he grabbed a swim noodle and began swimming toward the center of the pool.  As he did, the head lifeguard approached the edge of the pool and began calling out to J.J.

J.J. did not even hesitate….nor did he turn in the direction of the lifeguard’s voice…he just stayed the course, his course, smiling the whole way.

The lifeguard continued to try to get J.J.’s attention for a few minutes and then gave up. At that point, J.J.’s mom and dad appeared at pool’s edge.  (Apparently they were inside the club and had been alerted to the situation.)  They continued to try to attract my new hero’s attention, but to absolutely no avail…he seemed to be on his own path and no one was going to stop him. He did not even see his mom move from one end of the pool to the other.

Once again, there is more to the story, but, for now let’s focus on this my interpretation of it. (Please note that I am neither advocating peeing in the pool nor disregarding lifeguards and parents’ instructions. Rather, I am using this example as a “teaching moment.”)

J.J., unlike an artist or songwriter, made a very bold statement which set him apart from the crowd.

Then, when finished, the critics and naysayers began to howl for him to change direction…stop…come back. But he would not, in fact, he could not.  He stuck to his guns (sorry) and kept moving forward.

In our business, you have to be bold, step up and keep going in the face of any and all criticism.  You can’t just sneak your way in….people need to know who you are…they need to know what you can do…they need to know that you believe in what you do….and if you aren’t bold enough to show them… once again, you might was well be peeing in the pool.

Next week, Part Three.

The Twenty

If you’re bold enough to accept it, my FREE gift to you is this brief exercise to help you assess where you are and where you want to go. I am certain you’ll find it to be helpful.

So, #TakeTheTwenty. You did Take The Twenty, right?  If not, why not do it now?

Please check out my new podcast RANDOM ACTS.

chris@chriskeaton.com

Photo Credits – Cover: c.2017 pixabay.com ; Swimmer: c.2016 All-free-downloads.com