Don’t Be Distracted By Criticism

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“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.” – Zig Ziglar

Hilary Hinton Ziglar (1926 – 2012), or popularly known as “Zig Ziglar”, was an American writer known for his widely successful inspirational books and motivational seminars. His books have been used as a powerful tool for spiritual, emotional, and psychological growth in many areas of life. He had travelled the world as a bestseller and gained further international recognition through the broadcasting media.

Zig Ziglar’s life was an interesting story. Ten days after his birth, he was pronounced dead but miraculously came back to life. He belonged in a big family of 12 siblings but lost his sister a few days after the death of his father. He described his childhood as tough, having witnessed his widowed mother left with the burden of raising 6 small children. Despite that, he considered this difficult stage as the cornerstone of his motivation.

He served the Navy during the World War II for two years. A year later, he got married to Jean Abernathy. He was a salesman in several companies where he learned about the important skills on being a valuable employee. He became successful in his field and used his experiences to help other people achieve success.

Zig Ziglar had made a big name for himself but he was not always the successful, famous author and speaker. In his books and speeches, he mentioned about being criticized and underestimated in his career and daily life. But unlike most people, he did not let criticisms destroy his sense of self-worth. Instead, he constantly worked on improving himself for his own growth. In his talks, he emphasized on treating criticisms as an opportunity for growth, no matter how painful and soul-shattering they are.

Several significant personalities had also left valuable and similar thoughts on criticism:

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” – Winston Churchill (Nobel Prize winner in Literature and British’s greatest wartime hero)

“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” – John Wooden (Six-time national coach of the year and ten-time NCAA national championship winner)

“Don’t pay attention what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.” – Andy Warhol (renowned artist and a leading figure of pop art)

“To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” – Aristotle (Greek philosopher)