• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER » When Hecklers Say You Suck

in BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

When Hecklers Say You Suck

funny motivaional speaker kelly swanson

Funny Motivational Speaker Heads To The Land of Hecklers

I have a love/hate relationship with YouTube. I love the traffic it brings me. And I hate the traffic it brings me. Because some of that traffic is vicious. Yesterday it happened again. I got one of those comments.

It was a comment on my story about the woman with a mop. A comment from Dong Destroyer.

Dong Destroyer said it was a fake story, that I was scamming for Jesus, and then called me a name I’d rather not repeat.

My first thought was, “Mom?”

Last year this comment would have crippled me. Last year I would have carried this comment around in my head for weeks. Last year I would have called all my friends to see if they thought it was true. Last year I would have talked about this nonstop to my husband, waking him up in the middle of the night so he can remind me that I don’t suck.

But that was last year. Today – I laughed. And I actually felt a little sorry for Dong Destroyer and his obvious bitterness over the actions of a stranger.

Today I don’t care what Dong says. Because it’s not a fake story, it is a true story. And even if it had been a fake story, I still wouldn’t mind. I’m a writer. I write fake stories. Get over it. (Except for this one. This one is true. You just can’t make up somebody like Dong Destroyer.)

The story never even brought up Jesus unless Dong thought I was implying that the holy of holies wears a hair net. In fact, I didn’t even know it was about Jesus. And if it was, I would have been even prouder. I’m a big fan of Jesus.

And scamming? What’s that all about? I’m not sure you could call my YouTube video a scam, especially since I wasn’t selling anything. I think scams are when you sell something and don’t deliver on what you promise. Right? This was a YouTube video, so I’m pretty sure it delivered the same thing 1 million other YouTube videos deliver, which, if you’ve seen the big hairy guy skiing naked, isn’t much.

So I did what I do with all of my feedback. I read it. As hard as it is to do, I listen to the feedback. Then I determine whether there is anything valid I can learn from it. Then I consider the source. (A.k.a. Dong Destroyer) And then I let it go.

This fits right into my theory that life isn’t about what happens to you, but about the story you write with what happened to you.  Feedback happens. I can’t control what Dong says.  That is the part that happened to me. But in the moment following, I get to write the story of how this feedback will affect me. How much control will I give this heckler?

I can write a story that says I suck. I can write a story that says everybody feels like Dong does. I can write a story that says if somebody doesn’t like what I do then I should quit. I can write a story that says I am sad, disappointed, and rejected all over again. I can write a story that says I am stupid.

Or, I can write a different story. And today I did.  I wrote a story that says this is just one person’s opinion. I wrote a story that says I still love the woman with a mop and I’m going to keep telling it whenever I can. I wrote a story that says Dong is an idiot.  (Well, that story pretty much wrote itself.) I wrote a story that says I don’t need to get him back. He’s not worth it. Let it go.

Today, I laugh in the face of criticism. I laugh in the face of my heckler.

When you can laugh at your heckler, you take away his power over you.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Take that Dong Destroyer.

What about you? Are you carrying around a story that needs to be rewritten?

(PS. To paraphrase my buddy JC – to some we will be a foul stench, and to others a sweet rose.)

 

 

 

Related Stories:

  • learn-how-to-say-no-to-achieve-your-dreams-quote
    6 Truths to Help You Say No so You Can Say Yes to Your Dream
  • Be happy but never satisfied Bruce_Lee
    Does 8 Women Dream Suck?
  • women’s humor
    Friends Who Suck...Finding Humor in Everyday Life
  • 7 Healthy Alternatives to Pasta That Don’t Suck spaghetti-image
    7 Healthy Alternatives to Pasta That Don't Suck
Kelly Swanson
Kelly Swanson

Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, motivational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show airing on Amazon Prime. She is also the author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Land of If Only, The Story Formula, and The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking. She was a featured entertainer for Holland America Cruise Lines, keynote speaker for the International Toastmasters Convention, and has keynoted major conferences and corporate events from coast to coast. She just launched her one-woman show Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale in theaters, and it is being booked all over the country. In July of 2022, she was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.

Note: Articles by Kelly may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

Filed Under: BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« Face Your Body Fears
Dream Big: A Female Triathlete’s Training Guide to Foam Rolling »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • 8 Solstice Traditions for Focusing on Your Big Dream this Year
  • Winter Solstice: What Will You Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Why Halloween Costumes Can Help Discover Your Big Dream
  • How the Equinox Can be a Catalyst for Change
  • 5 Strategies to Live Your Wildest Dreams
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream

Inspiration

More About 8WD

WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO ACHIEVE BIG DREAMS.
 
IT IS OUR SINCEREST WISH THROUGH THE SHARING OF PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A BIG DREAM THAT WE WILL INSPIRE YOU GO AFTER A BIG DREAM TOO.
 
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 8WOMENDREAM, HERE.

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025 · LEGAL

Welcome to 8WomenDream Where Big Dreams Are Shared
The 8WomenDream website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT REJECT READ MORE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT