Why It's Important to Love Your Haters

It finally happened. After 3 years of putting myself out there with before and after shots, documenting my health and fitness journey through photos, posts, and blogs - I was served my first glass of Haterade -- it was delicious.

After a sweat-filled 21 Day Fix Extreme workout, I grabbed my phone and mindlessly hit the Instagram app. I found a comment on my before and after shot shown to the right  "I barely see a difference". Hater.

As a health and fitness coach, or even just someone who has interest in documenting their journey, comments like these have the ability to bring us down if we let them. If this would have happened 2 years ago, I probably would have taken it personally, fired back some nasty comment, and just let it get me down. Yesterday, I laughed and blew him an emoticon kiss back. Haters gonna hate.

When you catch yourself a hater, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Below you will find  3 Reasons why you should love the haterade - and in fact, try it in as many different flavors as possible:

1. Haters actually care about what you are doing: They might be saying mean things to you, but the fact is if they didn't care at all about what you were doing they wouldn't be following you much less taking the time out of their day to post ANY comment at all - nice or mean- on your page. They are somewhere ugly in their life right now. Misery loves company. Sometimes I like to think that person has no friends which is why they are now hiding behind a keyboard trolling strangers post and being as nasty as possible. Maybe all their real friends had enough. Here's what you can do to triumph over these kinds of haters: pray for them. Pray that whatever is holding them down right now is used somehow to propel them forward. Pray for their peace. Pray that they get through whatever they are going through and come out more positive than how they went in. Just pray for them.

2. Haters want what you have: You might not have lost your goal weight yet. You might be getting comments like "You're still fat" or "Go eat a cheeseburger" The fact of the matter is - you have something they want. Be it the body, the courage, the determination, the will to work, the positive mindset, the can-do winning attitude. You have something they want and can't seem to get, most likely because they just haven't come to terms yet with the fact that they are holding themselves back and no one else. What can you do for these haters? Pray for them. Pray that they find self confidence. Pray that they realize that life is worth living to its fullest in the most positive way possible. Pray for them.

3. Haters wish they had your social life: Many haters spend countless hours behind their computer/phone on other peoples profiles that they chose to follow only to put out hateful things. Clearly they have nothing better to do with their time whereas you on the other hand have another workout to get in, have an uplifting book to read, have wonderful friends who just invited you to dinner. You don't have time to comment back! Why? Because you are an awesome person that people WANT to be around. What can you do for these haters? Pray for them. Pray that they find a hobby that lifts them to a higher level in life and fulfills some portion of their life that currently feels empty. Pray that they find love in an unexpected place and it helps to transform their life. Just pray for them.

The fact is: Haters are gonna hate.  They are not going to go away, and the person hating on you now may keep on hating. Let them. Keep going on your own journey, regardless of what it may be. Maybe its a new fitness journey/goal, or something with your health - maybe you are battling an addiction -- keep pushing forward and like my girl T Swift says - Shake it off.