They hate to see us at our best; which is why we’ll never rest. A famous civil rights activist said, “If you have no critics, you’ll likely have no success.”

Throughout life on your way to prosperity, prejudice and opposition are common things that you’ll most definitely encounter. Many different icons and greats of the past and present have experienced this in one form or another. When professional baseball player Jackie Robinson first signed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, some of his own teammates threatened to sit out if they had to play alongside him. Don Shirley, a famous jazz pianist, while on tour, wasn’t allowed to eat at a restaurant in which he was scheduled to be the main entertainment and performer.

Most people say that prejudice is just a form of envy and therefore should be ignored. I however, do not agree with that rationale at all. To me prejudice isn’t just envy, but instead a motivation. Prejudice isn’t something that should be ignored, but instead embraced. The greatest sword is forged in the hottest fire. Use that prejudice as your fire, as a fuel to reach the next level. Once you are seen thriving and succeeding, many will attempt to halt your progress. Haters are simply an indication that you’re doing your job right. An indication letting you know you’re on the right road. Use it, the hate, as an incentive to do better.

On April 2nd, 2019, 19-year-old, Italian professional soccer player Moise Kean made international headlines. While playing a match in the Italian soccer league against Cagliari, for 84 minutes fans yelled racial slurs and made monkey noises towards him. He replied by scoring and essentially crushing any chance their team might have had at winning that match. He took the racism he was faced with and used it to control the game and win it.

Some people may be incapable of doing this. Certain people can’t ignore the antipathy and aversion and turn it into something positive, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just have to let go. At times it feels as if the opposition on the meticulous road to success is too much. That’s when you focus on the destination. Regard what you’re facing as nothing more than just a speed bump, a miniscule detail that soon won’t even be in the back of your mind.

Sometimes the journey is but a memory and a dream in contrast to the finish point. They hate to see us at our best, which is why we’ll never rest.