"Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning." George Elliot
Blue-Chip
I recently read a story of a talented young baseball player. This player was supposed to be the next great thing. At the age of 19 years old he made his way to Triple-A, which is the step right below the Major Leagues. To reach Triple-A at this young of an age, you have to be really good. At this point the young man began to struggle at the plate, becoming quite discouraged in the process.
The Breakdown
Finally the young ball player had enough. He walked into his manager's office and simply told him he did not want to play anymore. The game of baseball, which had brought him so much joy before, was not fun anymore. He was fed up with the fans booing him and constantly writing negative things about him in the newspaper. He didn't want to deal with the expectations and wanted to leave.
A Good Call
The manager looked at the young man and could tell his frustration. He told him this was probably the first time in his young 19 year old life that he was failing, and failing publicly. He explained to him that the downside of playing baseball is that you play it in front of people, that failing meant failing publicly. The manager said the only way to make it through the criticism of others is to develop a thick skin, and that a thick skin comes with the territory.
Then he looked the young man in the eye and said, "I know how good you are, and I know you can make it. But it doesn't matter what I know, it matters what you know, you got to believe in yourself."
A Good Choice
Though still frustrated, the young ball player trusted his manager and decided to give it another shot. He walked out of his managers office and started to play again. Gradually he began to get better and better. By the end of the season he was playing so well in Triple-A that at the age of 20 years old he was called up to the Major Leagues. His career in the Major Leagues ended up pretty good as he amassed 660 home runs, 2383 base hits, was named to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and the All-Century team in 1999.
The "Say Hey Kid," Willie Mays, made a good choice.
Building Thick Skin
There is only one person who can determine your worth--YOU. Your life, especially if you are talented, are a risk taker, or just willing to do what other's will not, is going to be full of people criticizing and telling you that you are not good enough. However, none of those things people say or write about you are true unless you want them to be. Your ability to funnel out critics, have faith in your ability to reach your goal or dream, and belief in yourself will create endless possibilities with the talents that God has blessed you with. To attain a thick skin, read below the six points of how you get it.
1. Thick Skin is Happy in its Own Skin: Author Leo Buscaglia wrote, "The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. People who are happy in their own skin are more confident in what they think of themselves than what others think. People who are not happy in their own skin have more confidence in what others think of them rather than what they think of themselves.
2. Thick Skin Has a Purpose: Writer and Minister Erwin Rafael McManus states, "A life most powerfully lived is the one that finds passionate urgency fueled by a sense of destiny." Knowing what you are made to do, knowing what you want to accomplish, gives thick skin that breaks through any type of adversity.
3. Thick Skin Doesn't Need to Be Certain: Faith in yourself and faith in your goal is all you need. As stated above, "Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning." A thick skin needs faith not certainty.
4. Thick Skin Needs a Supportive Cast: No matter how thick your skin is, you still need encouraging people in your life. If it was not for Willie Mays minor league manager, the game of baseball would have missed out on a significant icon in baseball history. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth, but encourage you to push through your goals, help you get out of slumps, and can make you think a little lighter about certain situations.
5. Thick Skin Still Accepts Responsibility: Having a thick skin does not keep you from accepting someone's criticism when it is accurate. I love the statement, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you mad." You should accept criticism responsibility from people who 1) possess great wisdom and strong character, 2) criticize with the intention of making you a better person or performer, 3) criticize in love, which is criticizing without being judgmental and with kindness, 4) has invested in you previously and who knows you better than you maybe know yourself.
6. Thick Skin Is Essential if You are Doing Great Things: Aristotle said, "Criticism is something you can avoid easily-be saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." People who don't do anything. People who choose to live a life of mediocrity, people who are scared to live up to their God given talent, and for the most part, people who sit their butts on the sidelines and criticize everyone else do not need thick skin. But for those who are being criticized, be happy! Because you are probably doing something that everyone else only wishes they had enough courage and strength to do. Or as I like to say it, if you're not getting criticized, you're not doing anything.
Only You Determine You
Blue-Chip
I recently read a story of a talented young baseball player. This player was supposed to be the next great thing. At the age of 19 years old he made his way to Triple-A, which is the step right below the Major Leagues. To reach Triple-A at this young of an age, you have to be really good. At this point the young man began to struggle at the plate, becoming quite discouraged in the process.
The Breakdown
Finally the young ball player had enough. He walked into his manager's office and simply told him he did not want to play anymore. The game of baseball, which had brought him so much joy before, was not fun anymore. He was fed up with the fans booing him and constantly writing negative things about him in the newspaper. He didn't want to deal with the expectations and wanted to leave.
A Good Call
The manager looked at the young man and could tell his frustration. He told him this was probably the first time in his young 19 year old life that he was failing, and failing publicly. He explained to him that the downside of playing baseball is that you play it in front of people, that failing meant failing publicly. The manager said the only way to make it through the criticism of others is to develop a thick skin, and that a thick skin comes with the territory.
Then he looked the young man in the eye and said, "I know how good you are, and I know you can make it. But it doesn't matter what I know, it matters what you know, you got to believe in yourself."
A Good Choice
Though still frustrated, the young ball player trusted his manager and decided to give it another shot. He walked out of his managers office and started to play again. Gradually he began to get better and better. By the end of the season he was playing so well in Triple-A that at the age of 20 years old he was called up to the Major Leagues. His career in the Major Leagues ended up pretty good as he amassed 660 home runs, 2383 base hits, was named to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and the All-Century team in 1999.
The "Say Hey Kid," Willie Mays, made a good choice.
Building Thick Skin
There is only one person who can determine your worth--YOU. Your life, especially if you are talented, are a risk taker, or just willing to do what other's will not, is going to be full of people criticizing and telling you that you are not good enough. However, none of those things people say or write about you are true unless you want them to be. Your ability to funnel out critics, have faith in your ability to reach your goal or dream, and belief in yourself will create endless possibilities with the talents that God has blessed you with. To attain a thick skin, read below the six points of how you get it.
1. Thick Skin is Happy in its Own Skin: Author Leo Buscaglia wrote, "The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. People who are happy in their own skin are more confident in what they think of themselves than what others think. People who are not happy in their own skin have more confidence in what others think of them rather than what they think of themselves.
2. Thick Skin Has a Purpose: Writer and Minister Erwin Rafael McManus states, "A life most powerfully lived is the one that finds passionate urgency fueled by a sense of destiny." Knowing what you are made to do, knowing what you want to accomplish, gives thick skin that breaks through any type of adversity.
3. Thick Skin Doesn't Need to Be Certain: Faith in yourself and faith in your goal is all you need. As stated above, "Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning." A thick skin needs faith not certainty.
4. Thick Skin Needs a Supportive Cast: No matter how thick your skin is, you still need encouraging people in your life. If it was not for Willie Mays minor league manager, the game of baseball would have missed out on a significant icon in baseball history. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth, but encourage you to push through your goals, help you get out of slumps, and can make you think a little lighter about certain situations.
5. Thick Skin Still Accepts Responsibility: Having a thick skin does not keep you from accepting someone's criticism when it is accurate. I love the statement, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you mad." You should accept criticism responsibility from people who 1) possess great wisdom and strong character, 2) criticize with the intention of making you a better person or performer, 3) criticize in love, which is criticizing without being judgmental and with kindness, 4) has invested in you previously and who knows you better than you maybe know yourself.
6. Thick Skin Is Essential if You are Doing Great Things: Aristotle said, "Criticism is something you can avoid easily-be saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." People who don't do anything. People who choose to live a life of mediocrity, people who are scared to live up to their God given talent, and for the most part, people who sit their butts on the sidelines and criticize everyone else do not need thick skin. But for those who are being criticized, be happy! Because you are probably doing something that everyone else only wishes they had enough courage and strength to do. Or as I like to say it, if you're not getting criticized, you're not doing anything.
Only You Determine You
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