Confidence

I love all of my stories.

Not everyone who reads them is going to love them, or even like them for that matter.

That is a hard thing to accept sometimes. As an author, I thrive on feedback, and I desire for people to enjoy the stories that I write. They are very much a part of my heart and soul. I put myself into every story that I write. It so often feels like an attack against my stories is an attack against me. But as an author, I need to learn to have a thicker skin. Yes, my stories are a part of me. But that does not mean that when people dislike a story of mine they dislike me.

I am learning to have the confidence to accept criticism without taking it personally.

On one hand, criticism can, in fact, be useful. I can learn and grow from it. On the other hand, criticism of my stories does not equal criticism of me. And even when there are those people who don't like me any more than they like my stories, they don't define me.

I am not defined by criticism.

I am not defined by those who dislike me.

I am not defined by my stories.

I am defined by my Creator. And I am learning to have confidence because of that and let everything else fall like so much water off of a duck's back.