Dealing With Headaches

I don’t know about you, but I highly suspect a leading cause of headaches is from criticism. As a freelance writer, I get quite a lot of it. Unfortunatley, it’s one of the hazards of the job. If I was a soldier, I’d have to be used to getting shot at. If I worked as a rock and roll star, I’d have to deal with deafness or crazy fans. But no, I picked freelance writer. So I have to learn how to take a metaphorical punch every now and then.

And it always gives me a goldurn headache.

I got reamed out by another client (NOT 451 Press, may I add) about going “almost over the line.” I’m not sure where this line is suppossed to be so I can cross it or not, but there you go. And this wasn’t just a “that sucked”, it went on for paragraphs. How much time was spent on that criticism, I have no idea. Oh, well.

I’ve got a doozy of a headache right now, let me tell you.

Logic Dictates

This is where all of those years of watching Star Trek help. For some people, it’s the Buddah they hear in their head, some Jesus and for me it’s Mr. Spock. Thank God for Mr. Spock! I’ve got a feeling Vulcans are actually Buddhists, but that’s an argument for another post (and no offence is intended to anyone’s belief system.)

When you get criticism, you have a choice. You can either pull out an AK-47 and blow that ignorant mutha away, or you can just observe the event logically, like a particulary foamy wave in an ocean. It rises, it looks impressive, it crashes, then it sinks back into the depths of the ocean and is no more.

By receiving the criticism non-defensively (as in, you choose not to pull out the AK-47), you also serve a purpose of helping spread non-violence in the universe. The person who is spending an inordinate ammount of time tearing apart you or your work is a psycopath in training. He or she or it is just looking for a reason to completely loose what’s left of its tiny little mind. Don’t be that reason. By listening or not reacting defensively, you can often diffuse this person’s psychopathic inclinations.

So, logically, by taking criticism stoically, you can help save the world from a psycho on a rampage. Pat yourself on the back, take your Excedrin…and look for another job.

Hope this helps. I know I feel better, anyway!