Opinions
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If you know me, you know that I used to be completely bound by others’ opinions. I wanted EVERYONE to like me. I wanted EVERYONE to think I was doing a great job with everything I did. I wanted EVERYONE to clap for me, pat me on the back and tell me of my awesomeness. It bothered me when people didn’t like me. I would go out of my way to find out why they didn’t like me, and I would do everything in my power to try to change their minds. I would buy them things, I would do things for them – whatever it took to make them like me. It was horrible.
I thank God that I AM no longer in that place… but I’m going to tell you something I have learned along the way. By the way, this month is always a month of reflection for me, so I’m going to be telling you guys about a lot of lessons I have learned in these last few seasons.
Listen very carefully: The people who have the absolute most to say about you and your life are unhappy with themselves, and they seek to resolve their unhappiness by forcing you to conform to their thoughts/opinions about who you should be because of their inability to conform to their thoughts/opinions about what they should be. You don’t even have to entertain that. Do you. Be you.
Let me break it down. The people who seem to be obsessed with your life and obsessed with telling you what you should do and how you should do it all the time… The people who feel like it is their God-given assignment to criticize everything about who you are and what you do – those people are unhappy with THEMSELVES. They are UNHAPPY with who THEY are. Therefore, they try to find ways to make themselves feel better about themselves. They don’t like who they are. They don’t like what they have become. They don’t like the choices they have made. They don’t like where they are in life. So, what do they do? They project that onto you. They try to make you be what they wish they could have been. They try to make you feel bad about being you because they feel bad about being them.
Let me tell you something. You don’t have to entertain it. You don’t. I’m not telling you to disrespect anyone or hurt their feelings intentionally, but what I AM telling you is that you don’t have to entertain anyone who is projecting their hurt and disappointment with themselves onto you. I don’t care if it’s your mother, your best friend, your dad, uncle, cousin or whoever. You DO NOT have to allow anyone to constantly criticize your every move. Constructive criticism is a whole different animal. It’s necessary. But criticism just for the sake of making the criticizer feel better about him/herself? Nah. You don’t have to partake in that. Not today, not ever. Remember that. Stand in your power and don’t let others take you through unnecessary warfare. You don’t have to. Be free from that.
Have an amazing day today. Show love to yourself AND others. Be GREAT! I speak life to you and everyone and everything connected to you! Catch me tomorrow!
XOXO,
Na’Kole ♥
