It was my own little secret. AmmazingSeries. Every time I thought about it, my heart would do a cartwheel. I shared the idea with my closest aides, for fear that I would be discouraged by a barrage of negative comments from the masses. Then one day feeling very generous and rather bold, I let another friend in on the secret. Big mistake, he did not mince words in describing his reservations about my idea. "What is this about, whats your hook, how do you intend to differentiate yourself?" He unleashed. I felt affronted by his lack of enthusiasm and the bluntness of his interrogations. Surely, he must be a HATER I concluded. Big mistake. When I later replayed the conversation in my head, I realised that he had raised an important point that nobody else had mentioned. I was uncomfortable with his questions because I did not have answers to them. I had confused a Helper for a Hater. I called him back and thanked him for being honest and forcing me to confront a pitfall I had not anticipated.

Feeling encouraged, I shared the idea with another friend. She oo'd and ah'd about it. Then one day, I caught her in an 'eye rolling' moment when I was happily soliciting support. In another instance, she fell face first in a lie. I had confused a Hater for a Helper. I smiled gratefully. She had reminded me that not everyone who shows you a 'thumbs up' is in your corner. I thought of the kindness of friends who are unrelentless in their honesty. Their insight has motivated me to open the gates for the critics. I view them as my unpaid focus group. I welcome all comments. I encourage the blunt ones, the diplomatic ones, and the enthusiastic ones. It is up to me to use judgment to seperate the constructive from the negative. As for my friend, he continues to follow the progress of AmmazingSeries like a hired consultant. I am so thankful that he consistently poses questions that push the boundaries of my vision. 

Pic credit: Photo bucket