We all know haters will hate, but your response decides whether they win or lose.

When you encounter a hater, two things can happen. They can break you or they can inspire you. Let me tell you, my haters inspired this article. 

Let’s just think about what a hater wants from you. They want you to feel pain. They want you to be sad. They want to crush who you are. So don’t let them! 

It doesn't matter if someone doesn’t like who you are. Be you to the fullest. Don’t let one person define your life or ruin your day. You don’t get that lost time back. People who hate are broken. They see flaws in themselves and push them onto others. They hurt and they want others to hurt, too.

Misery loves company. Haters want to bring you down because you are higher than them.  They’re on the low road and for some reason they want you to walk on that road with them.  

Do yourself a favor: be the bigger person.

Lowering yourself to the level of someone who spends their time hurting others is detrimental to who you are or who you hope to be. You are not as low as them. Never let yourself think differently. 

Haters don’t think they are better than you. They hurt others because they're insecure in themselves. So they like to make others insecure. If you're secure with yourself, you win. Do not let them scare you into a shell. Live your life to the fullest and be who you are. Be bold. Be loud. And always be unique.  

They want you to blend in and be ordinary so they can feel comfortable. Your tears are their trophies. Do yourself a favor and don’t shed a tear about anything they say or do. If you let them get to you that makes it a fight. When you cry, they win. 

Never let them win.  

You’ll never be able to stop what they do or say. That’s one thing we all learn the hard way. The only thing you can control is yourself and that is exactly what you need to focus on. 

To be clear, this article is not to hate on the haters.  That’s not worth my time. This is to inspire those put down by them.  I want haters to fuel your fire. Let their hate inspire you to be the best person you can be. You could block it out, but why not use it to be successful? Haters will hate and the fakers will fake. Let’s be honest, haters are most likely fake too. Don’t let them get to you. 

"So while you are still free, standing, fully capable, mobile, heartful people, enjoy your life." – John Mayer