CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

My favorite genre of music is reggae. I love it! The beat, the lyrics, the way it can take me back to my blue and white striped beach chair in front of Coco La Palm resort on Negril beach, Jamaica…I can smell the grape seed trees, I can taste the Appleton rum, I can hear the rastas yelling up and down the beach “Parasail! Jet ski!” It’s amazing how music can take you back to a particular place and time, the way it can remind you of a person or a feeling…it’s amazing.

I have a favorite reggae song that always starts playing in my head when someone says something judgmental or critical to me. It’s called Glass House by reggae legend Peter Tosh. The lyrics go like this:

If you live in a glasshouse

Don’t throw stones

And if you can’t take blows brother

Don’t throw blows

Harm no man

Let no man harm you

Do unto others

As they would do unto you

This morning a reader took the time to leave a negative comment on my last post. I’ve read these same types of comments on the other bloggers’ posts as well and had the same thought as I had this morning…how sad that someone feels so crappy about themselves that they want to put their negative stuff on me. If you have time to criticize others it’s simply because you’re unhappy with yourself, it has absolutely nothing to do with us or what we’re writing. So my suggestion to those who want to leave negative comments…how about instead you go to your nearest mirror and utter the comments to yourself. Look yourself in the eye and tell yourself exactly how you feel. Because I can guarantee you that I will likely write about my kids, my divorce, my training and my cape/tiara again…because that’s my life and I’m damn proud of it. So if it bothers you to the degree that you need to leave a crappy comment then don’t bother reading my blogs anymore. Really, I’m not getting paid for your visit to my page.

This reminded me of something Dave Patterson sent to me last June that I put in my personal blog. It’s called “Hater” by Maya Angelou and it’s wonderful and inspiring…and of course, I like to leave you with something inspiring. I read it again this morning and thought of my fellow bloggers, Bren and Diane. I am proud to be amongst ALL the bloggers here…Elaine, Dave, Bren Diane and now Erika…inspirational people who are transparent enough to share their real experiences with the rest of us. Thanks guys, you inspire me!

"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing" ~Aristotle

~Julie~
FEARLESS, with cape in hand

HATER/BY MAYA ANGELOU


A Hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.

They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!

When you make your mark, you will always attract some Hater…

That’s why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessing and your dreams, because some folk can’t handle seeing you blessed…

It’s dangerous to be like somebody else…If God wanted you to be like somebody else, he would have given you what he gave them!!! Right?

You never know what people have gone through to get what they have…

The problem I have with Haters is that they see my glory, but they don’t know my story…

If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!!!

We’ve all got some Haters among us!!!

Some people envy you because you can:
a) Have a relationship with God
b) Light up a room when you walk in
c) Start your own business
d) Tell a man/woman to hit the curb if he/she isn’t about the right thing
e) Raise your children without both parents being in the home

Haters can’t stand to see you happy.
Haters will never want to see you succeed.
Most of our Haters are people who are supposed to be on our side.

How do you handle your undercover Haters?
You can handle these Haters by:

1. Knowing who you are and who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)*
2. Having a purpose to your life: Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.

Fulfill your dreams!!! You only have one life to live…when it’s your time to leave this earth, you “want” to be able to say,”I’ve lived my life and fulfilled “my” dreams…Now I’m ready to go HOME!!!

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