Let It Burn: Turning Hurtful Criticism Into Fuel for Your Success

I’ll never forget the day a college professor made an offhand comment that hit me harder than I expected. He didn’t single me out, but he might as well have. As he handed back our graded essays, he made an announcement that hung heavy in the air.

"You’ll find my feedback on the front page. For some of you, it's in blue ink. For the rest, it's in red," he said, as if delivering a weather forecast for doom and gloom. Then came the blow: "I’ll be straight with you—some of you will never be writers, and frankly, have no business trying."

I didn’t hear much else after that. My mind was too busy racing over those sharp words while staring at the red marks on my own paper. I didn’t even want to be a writer back then—it was just another class I had to check off my curriculum that semester. Yet those words had already planted a seed of doubt, making me feel like I wasn’t cut out for something I hadn’t even dared to dream about yet.

Fast forward a decade and a half later, and there I was, starting my very first blog. The professor's words still haunted me, but this time, something was different. I didn’t dive into blogging with dreams of being the next bestselling author. I did it out of curiosity, to see where it might lead, and because deep down, I just wanted to share my thoughts with whoever would care to listen... or read.

To my surprise, I fell in love with writing. I found joy in putting my thoughts down and sharing my experiences, even if I was the only one reading them. But soon, I wasn’t alone. Women from all over started reaching out, thanking me for my posts, telling me how much my words had lifted their spirits or helped them through a tough time. My writing was touching people in ways I never expected.

That’s when I realized something powerful: no one gets to tell you what you can or cannot do. Not your professor, not your family, not even that harsh inner critic. You get to decide what you do with your life, your talents, and your voice.

So if there’s a dream in your heart, no matter how small or how impossible it seems, go for it. You don’t need anyone’s permission to chase what lights you up inside. The world is full of people who will tell you what you're "qualified" to pursue, what you're good at or what you suck at, but the only opinion that truly matters is your own.

If you want to see what’s on the other side of the fence, you have to make the choice to climb the fence, swing one leg over, and take the leap! In doing so, you open yourself up to growth and become stronger, braver, and wiser.

Yes, it can be terrifying. It might require a lot of work, and in the end, you might fail, you might fall, you might end up making a fool of yourself... but at least it’s on your own terms. At least you’ll know you tried, and that’s more empowering than sitting on the sidelines, letting someone else define your future.

The truth is, life will always present you with reasons to feel disheartened. You’ll face setbacks, criticisms, and doubts from others. But what you do with those experiences is entirely up to you. You can let them break you, or you can let them build you. The choice is yours.

And what about those harsh comments, the discouraging feedback, and the negativity that always seems to find its way to your doorstep?

Let it turn into the fire that fuels your success, that gives you the energy to keep going. Just as a forest fire clears the way for new growth, let that criticism become the very thing that pushes you toward your breakthrough.

Let it burn.

Because when you embrace the burn, that’s when you truly begin to rise. You hold the pen to your own story. Write it how you want.

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