This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. “Your opinion is not my reality.”
Just because someone says something about you doesn’t mean it’s true. Don’t let negative comments or criticism have an influence on who you are and how you feel about yourself.
Take what others say about you with a grain of salt. But listen to helpful feedback from people you trust. I listen to my trusted mentor, close friends and colleagues who I know have my back, and my family. I’ve had various people say critical things to me through the years that were not coming from a place of good. Filter out those comments and those people.
I can easily recognize those people now and I cut them out of my life without even batting an eye. I know that they have another agenda, they are jealous of something about me or insecure about their own lives and something I have or am doing makes them feel bad about themselves. Those are not people you should listen to nor do you want them in your life.
I learned the hard way last year that there are some people in your life who truly do not want you to succeed, and relish in your failures and actively contribute to them. Sometimes you can spot them and sometimes it takes a much longer time to do so. And unfortunately by that time, you’ve already probably given them a lot of information to use against you. Feel sorry for these people, because they’re clearly not happy with their own lives to be meddling in yours and enjoying your hardships. My life is so much simpler now without having to worry about watching my back. At the end of the day, you certainly don’t need “frenemies” in yours.
It’s important to always remember the possibility that the advice you’re receiving is coming from a not-so-good place.
Consider the advice you receive and consider the source. If the advice seems like it’s coming from less-than-selfless place, discard it. Not all advice is created equal and neither are advisors.
Trust your intuition when it comes to comments and advice you receive from others who may not have your best interest at heart. You can tell who is truly happy for you when you achieve success – and who is not – that should be your litmus test on who you allow to be close to you or to give you advice.
Remember what others think about you is always clouded in their own perspective and some individuals have their own agenda.
What truly matters is what YOU think.