Stay True, Even When Misunderstood

One of the most exciting—and scariest—parts of releasing a new book is seeing how people interpret it. I’m not talking about “Is it a good book or a bad book?” but rather how people receive the themes inside it.

One of the key concepts I introduce in a later chapter is the importance of scheduling time to do nothing—not out of laziness, but as a way to improve mental health, reduce cortisol levels, and allow the prefrontal cortex to recover so you can make better decisions. I spent ample time researching and explaining how scheduling “me” time—what I call ME:30—isn’t about doing less, but about resting with purpose.

But despite all the research and reasoning, some people will hear what they want to hear.

A guy who bought the book recently emailed me and said, “It’s kinda ironic to see a motivation book tell you to do less.”I had a long response typed out, ready to defend the point, but instead, I hit delete.

Because here’s the truth—if you stick with your craft long enough, you WILL be misunderstood.

People See You Through Their Own Lens

No matter how well you communicate, no matter how pure your intentions, someone somewhere will take your words out of context. This used to frustrate me—until I realized something:

People can only see you through the lens of who they are, what they’ve been through, and how they perceive the world.

• The pessimist who always assumes the worst? Maybe they were raised in an environment where disappointment was the norm.

• The person obsessed with money and success? Maybe they grew up poor and are fighting to never feel powerless again.

When you understand this, you stop taking it personally.

Your Job is to Keep Moving Forward

At the end of the day, your job isn’t to convince everyone to see things your way. Your job is to put your best foot forward, with the right intentions, the right effort, and a mission that elevates both you and those around you.

Your job is not to: ❌ Respond to every criticism ❌ Worry about being misunderstood ❌ Argue with people who choose to see things differently

The results will speak for themselves. And even then, some people will do everything in their power not to listen.

Shine anyway.

Keep going. Keep building. Keep being you.

— Baylor

Want More Motivation?

📖 No One Prays for the Lion: Cultivating Confidence in a Wilderness of Doubt is available TODAY on Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, and BaylorBarbee.com. Grab your copy and start building unshakable confidence today.

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