You’re never not going to have critics. And it’s probably always going to bother you.

The harsh truth about being successful is that you are going to make people irrationally mad at you in the process. It’s inevitable. Part of the painful journey.

Your peers, your family, your community — they can all seem like enemies at times. Each one tearing you apart as you pass by in your quest for achieving big expectations.

The things that make you successful are sometimes offensive to other people. The choices that you have to make are annoying to other people who don’t always understand your motivations.

And you might be missing out on the fact that life is normal.

It’s normal for people not to like you.

It’s uncomfortable, painful, and endlessly frustrating. But what is supposed to happen.

From Jesus to Mohammed to Martin Luther King Jr, Henry Ford, and Jackie Robinson — and millions of unnamed others — those who fight the hardest to make a difference, get the most criticism.

So what do you do? How do you stay focused and inspired?

Be clear in your own head about why what you want to achieve is so important. Accept responsibility for the parts of your zealotry that need to be improved. Build a group of friends and mentors whom you can trust to be fair and honest. Laugh off the silliest accusations and make yourself smile even though you don’t feel like it. Take time each week to review through through your goals and ideas and progress. Tune out almost everyone around you most of the time. It’s not easy to do. Or fun.

But that’s the price you pay for doing what most other people only read about in books.

You’re one of the few destined to be remembered by history. Some angry chit-chat along the way is a small price to pay.

So fight on…