Letter Thirty-Seven: Dear Criticism Coward

I also would not classify what is being said to you as constructive criticism, the type of feedback that is worth believing is presented to you in good faith as something that can help you improve; that is not what is happening here.

What is being said to you is just criticism; unkind, destructive, and unhelpful.

It makes complete sense to me that you’re not feeling confident in yourself and your abilities after hearing comments like those. Even once is enough to leave a deep impact, let alone these comments being a pattern.

Letter Twenty-Six: Dear Networking Nerves

Remember networking takes practice! It’s rarely something people intuitively know how to do or feel confident in doing. It’s something you try and get a feel for and can get experimental with. Keep a playful mindset with it, and do check in with yourself at the end of the evening to notice what felt good and what felt not so good. That’s information to help you at the next conference, or even the next day of the conference.