And this is completely normal. In fact, I would think you were crazy (or lying) if you said that you've never dealt with negative people. No matter how successful, how thin or curvy, how beautiful, how nice, how selfless you are, there will always be negative people who try to drag you down. The thing we need to focus on is how to handle it.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm terrible with negativity. I absolutely hate it when someone is disrespectful, or not understanding or tolerant of who I am. And believe me, I deal with people like this on a daily basis. Being in the cosmetology industry is really terrible when it comes to this. Everyone is so focused on the superficial- after all, that's what the business is about. Making people look a certain way to match society's standards. But I'm sorry, I'm not cookie cutter. Nothing I do, and nothing I will ever do will be cookie cutter! That is the way God made me, and I'm proud to be me. I'm proud of myself and the things I've accomplished, no matter how trivial they may be.
So how do I handle negativity? Not well. And again, that's okay. I realize it, and it's something I've put my mind to changing. I'm a lot better with it now than I was a few months ago, so at least I know I'm growing. Tonight I had some pretty rude things said about my lifestyle right in front of me. Instead of letting it just roll off my back, you know what I did? I pouted. Real mature, right? But that's what I did. Then I went for a drive- a very long drive. I vented to my boyfriend, the most supportive person I know, and he was a gem. He kept cool and just listened to me. It's nice when people don't try to make the situation better, or they just LISTEN. That's a rare and precious gift, and I always cherish it.
Now, how should I have handled it? First off, I should have never let it get to me. I should have stood my ground instead of running away, but hey, I'm only human! The way I handled it wasn't a complete waste, though. When I got back to church I felt much more relaxed and calm, which allowed me to enjoy the message my youth pastor shared and the discussion we had in our small group.
What I'm trying to say here is this: Don't let negativity get in the way of living your life to the fullest. Please don't let it crush your happiness! You can either let those people tear you down to their level, or you can rise above them and show them that you truly do deserve happiness. I'm not saying rise above them and think you're high and mighty- Rise above them and show them love, kindness, patience, and above all, set a good example. The people who try to tear you down are the ones who have been torn down themselves. I once had an art teacher who told me I wasn't good enough for the art industry, and unfortunately I let that get to me. Now, years later and much happier, I regret that I listened to her. Because I DO have what it takes- passion, drive, and talent. When I go to college next fall, I will be majoring in art. I've already started to follow my dreams here with this blog!
So if you take anything away from this post, please let it be to keep smiling. One smile has the potential to change the world- a smile is negativity's worst enemy.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm terrible with negativity. I absolutely hate it when someone is disrespectful, or not understanding or tolerant of who I am. And believe me, I deal with people like this on a daily basis. Being in the cosmetology industry is really terrible when it comes to this. Everyone is so focused on the superficial- after all, that's what the business is about. Making people look a certain way to match society's standards. But I'm sorry, I'm not cookie cutter. Nothing I do, and nothing I will ever do will be cookie cutter! That is the way God made me, and I'm proud to be me. I'm proud of myself and the things I've accomplished, no matter how trivial they may be.
So how do I handle negativity? Not well. And again, that's okay. I realize it, and it's something I've put my mind to changing. I'm a lot better with it now than I was a few months ago, so at least I know I'm growing. Tonight I had some pretty rude things said about my lifestyle right in front of me. Instead of letting it just roll off my back, you know what I did? I pouted. Real mature, right? But that's what I did. Then I went for a drive- a very long drive. I vented to my boyfriend, the most supportive person I know, and he was a gem. He kept cool and just listened to me. It's nice when people don't try to make the situation better, or they just LISTEN. That's a rare and precious gift, and I always cherish it.
Now, how should I have handled it? First off, I should have never let it get to me. I should have stood my ground instead of running away, but hey, I'm only human! The way I handled it wasn't a complete waste, though. When I got back to church I felt much more relaxed and calm, which allowed me to enjoy the message my youth pastor shared and the discussion we had in our small group.
What I'm trying to say here is this: Don't let negativity get in the way of living your life to the fullest. Please don't let it crush your happiness! You can either let those people tear you down to their level, or you can rise above them and show them that you truly do deserve happiness. I'm not saying rise above them and think you're high and mighty- Rise above them and show them love, kindness, patience, and above all, set a good example. The people who try to tear you down are the ones who have been torn down themselves. I once had an art teacher who told me I wasn't good enough for the art industry, and unfortunately I let that get to me. Now, years later and much happier, I regret that I listened to her. Because I DO have what it takes- passion, drive, and talent. When I go to college next fall, I will be majoring in art. I've already started to follow my dreams here with this blog!
So if you take anything away from this post, please let it be to keep smiling. One smile has the potential to change the world- a smile is negativity's worst enemy.