Well, it happened. After years of wondering how come other people talked about their haters and thinking “I’ve never had negative feedback” – I got my first negative comment.

My first “hater.”

It should’ve been upsetting.

Years ago it probably would’ve made me sad or made me question my offering to wonder if it was wrong or priced incorrectly.

But this one seriously made me smile.

You see, I’ve newly created a monthly membership group to be a sacred space for Intuitive Writers so I can teach them and offer the support I so badly needed as I was starting out. It’s the difference between being freaked out by your writing and having a sacred container for it so the words can just flow and flow and flow.

I don’t know anyone else that sets up their writing this way and I personally feel it’s a great value (it’s a culmination of my nine plus years of learning!).

Except, when I promoted it on Facebook, it obviously wasn’t aligned with someone.

Firstly, I should add that I don’t have any male clients for my writing mentoring or editing services. I haven’t chosen this intentionally, but so far only women have been aligned so this was even one of the first male comments I’ve ever received.

Anyway, he took a look at the offering and said, “$22 a month for this feculence …id say its sacrilegious…not sacred….”

I actually had to look up “feculence” and am impressed he used that word. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it and it is as it sounds. A fancy way of saying “crap,” I gather.

But secondly, this made me happy. I honestly don’t want anyone in the group who doesn’t value my time and knowledge. This group is a way for me to reach people, use my intuitive channel so their guides can also support them, and help others who feel this STRONG call to write have the support that will help them thrive, but more importantly keep them writing.

Without energetic boundaries, intuitive writing can get a little cray cray. Not to mention more than a little scary (see: Are you really leading with your gifts when you think you are?).

I thanked him for his comment, amused that my landing page could upset him so, and let him know I had free resources in the form of blog posts and vlogs on my website.

His response?

“It’s not how real writers and writing works.”

Ah… and there we have it.

Am I somehow not a “real writer?” I was an English Major in college. I’ve been part of writer’s circles, taken writing workshops and have two websites where I have created countless amounts of content for each.

“What exactly does that make me?,” I wonder.

And don’t you think THAT is probably the heart of the problem for this commenter?

It reminds me of this comment thread I once read about meditating WRONG. Someone had said how they like to lie down to meditate and this woman went off about how there is one, and only ONE, way to meditate. If you weren’t sitting up right, straight as an arrow, you flat out were not meditating “correctly.”

Well, I’d like to argue that there are different reasons people meditate and if you want to relax and zone out so you can be a more peaceful person – I personally don’t care HOW you do it.

Many of us are taught to believe things have to work a certain way or they are untrue. Nonsense. Feculence if you will.

BUT, because I showed up honestly, authentically and I REALLY shared what will happen in the group, it caused him to react.

Which is really good because I don’t want to be part of a space with closed-minded people who aren’t open to receiving their intuitive guidance – because it’s not my job to convince him otherwise.

I don’t think you can change people’s minds as much as you can show them other ways. You can show up as YOU, be YOU, and if they relate to you – than great!

If not, it’s an amusing exchange and you can thank the universe for connecting you to those you can most help, not those who will be a time suck and closed off to receiving your teachings.

Now, I wasn’t always this way. I used to be heartbroken if someone unsubscribed from my email list and I would wonder what I did wrong. That was back when I didn’t have clarity. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with all the writing that was pouring out of me and I didn’t know how to manage it.

Since then I’ve learned a very valuable lesson and you can read more about that HERE in The Word Every Lightworker Needs to Embrace to Keep Their Energy Strong.

Now, I’m not happy this person is limited in their thinking or just didn’t relate to me, I’m only happy that he didn’t join the group and create a negative environment in a space that I want to be a positive one.

I’m also happy I’ve come so far that I don’t have time to spend on who ISN’T aligned with me and instead can devote my attention to who IS.

Which let’s face it, feels SO much better!

How about you? Have you had your first hater? How did you respond? Let me know in the comments.

XOXO,