HATER handling in a NUTSHELL by Trey Smith - 7 Nutshells that may make YOUR world a little brighter place. In the process of writing & promoting Thieves I have had no shortage of opposition. Sometimes even those who have taken deliberate actions against the project and myself personally. I have learned a few things in the process. Let me share them with you without charging a dime.

Trey Smith | God in a Nutshell

HATERS: Handling haters with success and fun in the process. Trey Smith

Trey Smith runs the God in a Nutshell project, blogs as Trey's Nutshell and also committed the safe robbery of TV pastor Mike Murdock in 1999. The book Thieves: One dirty TV pastor and the man who robbed him covers that safe robbery. 

SEVEN NUTSHELLS

1) Show kindness, respect and HONOR to everyone --- especially to those who may reject you, speak poorly of you, or be against you most.

2) Rejection is a great teacher -- The more rejection you experience, the more prepared you will be in the moment you find the acceptance you seek (no matter what it is). Rejection is NEVER a loss; it is merely the evidence of a place you were not meant to be (or that it is not time for you to be there yet).

3) Go where you find favor -- Focus your energies in the places (and with the people) that show you favor, support & lift you up. When you find places and people that show you favor, treat them as pure treasures to your life. ALWAYS ask yourself: "What can I do to benefit their lives & world in return?"

4) Understand who your TRUE friends are. Pay them the highest level of personal honor -- go the extra mile, plus seven miles. True friends are NOT determined by who says "good, bad or critical" things of you. When you are doing well --- "successful" --- many, many people will be "nice" to you. True friends are the ones who help you when things aren't so well. True friends are the ones who speak well of you when it is not popular to speak well of you. True friends are the ones who are holding your tight rope while others are trying to knock you off it --- treat them as such.

5) Find a role model you can talk to --- someone who will give you straight talk about yourself (not just "butter you up" and make you feel good), someone whose advise tends to be level-headed and just (even when it hurts). SUCCESS is not created by how many times you are right; but knowing who to listen to when you are wrong.

6) Let JOY become your NATURE. Many people misunderstand joy.... they think it is created by external things. It is NOT. Joy is 100% internal. Some of the most depressing individuals I have met in my life are wealthy and have lots of "stuff." Do not let your "things" be the prerequisite for your joy --- lest you find yourself controlled by your own "stuff" -- it lives while you die. Be willing to laugh at yourself. Be willing to laugh even when things don't go as you hoped, or, seem at their very worst. Deliberately seek JOY... especially when the reasons for it are scarce --- eventually JOY will become your NATURE. As added benefits, JOY is attractive, and drives those who are against you absolutely nuts.

7) Get to your PURPOSE. This is the BIG ONE. Like joy, many believe that purpose is external. It is not, and searching for it may exhaust you --- turning many to greed, pure selfishness, and a life-long pursuit for glitter and dollar bills. Your PURPOSE is already in you. It is part of YOUR design. Trust me, it is in there; buried in the code of the genes you were born with. So, you don't have to go find it. It has already found you. It is God-given. You just have to release it; lay off a little on the "main thruster" of life's unending worries. "What do you love the most? What gives you the most passion?" Start asking those questions and it can be dangerous --- you might even begin to find out who you really are. Let your purpose guide you, not you try and guide it --- otherwise you will wear yourself silly. If God put the purpose in you, He probably intends you to bask in the majesty of using it.... and every benefit that falls into place like pure clockwork because of it.

Trey Smith | D Magazine

Trey Smith | Trey Smith holding the issue of Dallas, Texas, D Magazine with the headline article about the Mike Murdock safe robbery in 1999.

CREDIT FOR THE SEVEN NUTSHELLS:

You don't have to believe as I believe. I do not push my beliefs on anyone (that is actually against my beliefs). But I am not ashamed to give Jesus Christ in my life the full credit for everything you just read above. If that offends you --- then I think you need to toughen up (just my opinion).

-Trey Smith

Trey Smith | God in a Nutshell project