I had just disembarked from my flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco(first time visiting) and as I walked down the airport corridor I saw a sign for a meditation/yoga room at the airport.
I took a picture with my phone and laughed to myself that this city of the summer of love “hippies” would, of course, have a room dedicated to yoga and meditation. I laughed.
Then I saw a group of cyclists and chuckled again to myself while thinking “who would ever get into that?” You know, wearing those tight shorts, while riding skinny-0wheeled bikes around town. I laughed some more.
A little while later, my Uber driver drove us past a golf course and I had similar thoughts and reactions to playing “such a boring game” again, who would waste their time on something that seems so mundane? I had another chuckle.
Now, a couple of short years later, I meditate each morning, I really enjoy cycling and am aiming at my first 100-mile ride, and I’ve just picked up golf and hope to get better at playing and enjoy some time on beautiful courses around the world.
I took from this experience a few things:
1.) Those who don’t understand you will laugh at you. Until you persist and they join you.
2.) Perspective is very real. Meditation, cycling, and golf previously held no value to me and I was un-empathetic to the idea that they could hold value to others and therefore I laughed off all three things and never considered any value they offered.
So don’t be afraid of the critic or the one who laughs from afar. He probably doesn’t understand, doesn’t value, and doesn’t care enough to offer critique or opinion that would be valuable to your process anyway. Never let the critic stop you.