Later, Hater - Inside Edition

Later, Hater by Candace Payne As opportunities to share my joy with the world grew greater and greater, the world around me, very close to me, in fact, grew more in need of comfort than I have seen in ages. Yes, even in those months following the video, there were very real fears and tragedies happening near and far. Nearly seven weeks after the world had responded to the Chewbacca Mom video with laughter and acceptance, our nation was torn by racial tension, shocked and saddened by the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. What was intended as a peaceful protest in my hometown, Dallas, Texas, turned into an evening of panic and open shooting in our streets. The nation that had just celebrated independence on July Fourth was turning on itself in ugly violence. I woke up two days after the shootings in my hometown feeling intense sorrow and heaviness. I was thinking of the entire world we share, this world with its very real tears and fears. I was looking past our borders to the basic needs we all have for love, acceptance, and freedom. And I thought as I pondered what kind of world we are leaving for our children, Has hate's voice become stronger than love's? As I got dressed that morning, I began humming to myself an old Michael Jackson song, "Heal the World." A bit later, sitting at my piano while my family finished their morning routine, I felt an urge to go live with the words that were swirling from my mind to my heart. I didn't care if I sounded perfect or beautiful. I wanted to sing those lyrics over families facing loss, a nation divided, homes hurting, and hearts broken. I wanted to remind whoever would watch and listen that we have a choice every day to make the world a better place. It was a call to action for those who felt powerless to their situation,

especially to the senseless violence that had been displayed. It's an anthem of hope. And so I sang.

I ended the live broadcast, helped my kids tie their shoes, and went about my day running errands and showing our children that life was made for savoring and making memories. Within hours, I saw notifications that this video was going viral as well. Most people responded positively and encouraged me with grateful, heartfelt sentiments. However, unlike the love I felt from the Chewbacca Mom video, on a small scale I now began to know the sound of trolls and haters.

I remember seeing an unidentified phone number cross my screen. I answered, and it turned out to be a press inquiry from the New York Times asking how I felt about the opposition to my post. My aim is spreading joy, so I didn't want even to dwell on or give a stage to the negativity.

I had a somewhat persistent journalist on the line wanting my opinion. I'm not a jerk, so I offered this quote that I still believe to be true: "When a fire blazes in our personal lives, we all hold a bucket in our hands. It's what is in that bucket that makes all the difference. You can choose to have either water (to quench the fire) or gasoline (to fuel and stoke the flames). As far as it can be with me, I will always have water in my bucket."

It wasn't a big deal to me that I had taken to my social media outlets to offer hope through song; however, it did seem to be a big deal to others. Some commented, "Why does Chewbacca Mom need to weigh in on something as serious as this?" Other commenters were under the illusion that I had only sung to try to keep alive any fifteen

minutes of fame. Only those who know me beyond the online snippets understand how hurtful that accusation was.

We all have known a hater in life. They love social media. I've since learned to make the block button my favorite button on the internetwebs.

To be clear, I'm not speaking of critics. I appreciate dialogue, even with those who downright disagree with me . . . if we can carry on a conversation with mutual respect. We can learn a lot from one another when we engage those with opposite opinions, as long as love is the foundation.

But there's a difference between critics and bullies. Bullies are the ones who incite hateful sentiments for the sake of being hateful or to stir up drama. It's the cyber-bullies of the world who long for a stage and voice to speak whatever ugly is already in their hearts and minds. Unlike critics, these haters aren't interested in your side of the conversation at all.

I was at a crossroads with what to do with the hateful criticism I received after posting my "Heal the World" video. I decided to fight back with positivity and do something more than just enter a verbal argument in a comment thread on Facebook. I wanted the video to count for all the reasons I cared to create it in the first place. I also wanted to put action to the words I had sung courageously.

So, I put my single of "Heal the World" on iTunes and donate all profits from sales to Convoy of Hope. Within the first day of release, the song charted number twenty-seven on the pop charts on iTunes. It is possible to overcome the voices of hate and replace them with joy.

I don't dare presume to know the voices of hatred and discouragement that have

bullied you online or offline. You may be in the middle of the fight for your life in trying

to find a single thing positive under the weight and heaviness of all the hate you face

daily. You may even be in a home, marriage, or job where you consistently fight to

remain joyful and hold onto hope. I pray you will find the courage and gumption to block

the voices of hate.

Know this: Joy is on this journey with you. She hears you and sees you fighting for

her to have a place in your life. Go ahead: Let Joy in and say, "Later, hater" to anything

or anyone else trying to take her place.

Be offensive in your pursuits for joy.

Keep your circles of valued voices in the forefront of your mind when you do need to

be defensive.

Hit that block button often, both online and in real life.

Cultivate a heart that doesn't get offended easily.

And, like I said in the "Heal the World" live video:

"Make a better world, y'all. Fill it with joy, not hate. C'mon."

Adapted from Laugh It Up by Candace Payne. Copyright ? [2017 by Candace Payne.] Used by permission of Zondervan. .

Candace Payne is a viral sensation whose video of trying on a Chewbacca Mask became the most-viewed Facebook Live video to date (170+ million views). She has been featured in more than 3,000 media outlets and has interviewed with major media such as "Good Morning America," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," The New York Times, PEOPLE and Cosmopolitan. Candace's first book, Laugh It Up!: Embrace Freedom and Experience Defiant Joy, is available now. Candace lives in Texas with her husband, two children, and ornery pugs. Connect with Candace online at CandacePayne.me.

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