Dealing with Negativity

When I was younger, I was always the type to care what people thought about me. If I were to hear one negative thing about me, i would get so upset and would change myself in order to get rid of the so-called “flaw”. The negative energy surrounding me in my teen years was heavy and completely destroyed me.

Recently, I’ve had to deal with someone who was very kind to my face, but ended up twisting things and making me seem like a bad person. At first, I was very upset (as anyone would likely be). but then, after thinking about it for a while, I realized that this person doesn’t even know me, so why should I even allow their words to affect me? Why should I care what they think?

As I’ve entered my early twenties, I’ve began to realize that negativity cannot affect me unless I allow it to. Negative comments about me cannot control me or affect my emotions unless I allow it to reach me. Most people who have negative things to say about me don’t really even know who I am at all. Once I realized that, I started to feel content with myself and at peace with everything around me. I'm just fine knowing that not everyone I come across will like me and it makes me happy to think that they will never have the honor of knowing my soul.

Something about that is so empowering.

-Ash