1. The Opinion of Others

If you are among those who have decided to make a difference in their surroundings, sometimes the opinions of others can paralyze you and prevent you from acting. Paddling against the current occasionally hurts, as it costs, it sometimes separates. You will have to endure many injustices in silence. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but the opinion of others is not your reality. The truth is what the Creator of creatures says you are and what you are capable of.

I encourage you to continue pursuing your wildest dreams, to strive with all your might to be what you are meant to be, to do what you are meant to do, to be with whom you are meant to be…

Your progress, your success is not found in the eyes of others, but within you. Work to know the true depth of your divine essence. Practice until you can calmly say to yourself: “the erroneous opinions of others are like the weather, they will eventually change.” As for me, I will continue to move forward and I will succeed!

2. Comparison

Often the person you compare yourself to is simply the answer to your prayer. When a close one rises, if you are not the first to celebrate their progress, to encourage them, or to get closer to them for inspiration and learning, you are rejecting the blessing that the Creator gives you freely. No, they are not favored over you. They have done their groundwork, and it’s their season to shine. It’s not that God prefers them over you; God has answered you a long time ago.

No, they haven’t become arrogant or disrespectful, it’s you who have changed the way you see them. Behind this unproductive comparison lies bitterness, jealousy, frustration, your insecurities, and especially the ignorance of your true identity.

It’s your pride that blocks you, but humility precedes glory. You never succeed alone. You will always need someone divinely sent, such as a divine connection to hold your hand. Train your mind not to compare yourself to others; thus, you will no longer see them as an adversary, but as an ally with whom you can progress. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.

3. Negative Words

There are negative words we often say to ourselves and those we receive from our surroundings.

• I come from a poor family; I can’t do anything right.
• I am still young; I am having fun.
• I am better than him; he can’t beat me.
• I refuse to help him succeed; he might beat me.
• You never do anything right: why can’t you be like your sister, your friend Paul?
• What you do on social media is nonsense; it’s real rubbish. You don’t even have many followers. Stop the massacre once and for all!
• So, others do it, you also get up and do it, you are stupid.
• I don’t think I can do it; I don’t have enough… maybe next year.

“Have you ever stayed calm for more than five minutes, with a serene face, in the face of harsh and erroneous criticisms, negative words from others, without the idea of justifying yourself, defending yourself, or quickly rebounding crossing your mind?”

I admit I haven’t completely achieved it yet, but I have understood one thing from reading Connie Dieken’s book “Talk Less, Say More,” there is a way to come out with your head held high:

• Know your value, live it, and engrave it well in your heart.
• Learn to know yourself: allow yourself the right to be imperfect, vulnerable, and simply human. I want you to understand that no one criticizes a “loser.”
• Sincerely thank them for the favor of being criticized. Behind every criticism, there is often a small grain of truth.

Step back a little, keep listening to those who challenge you, do your best every time and be proud of your progress. Don’t forget that erroneous opinions are like the weather, they always end up changing. The idea here is to integrate this mental predisposition so that harsh criticisms do not affect you over time, but rather become a motivation to improve.

This text is an excerpt from the book “INFLUENCED OR INFLUENCER” written by Suzanne KWEDI.

We invite you to read the following article “THE QUESTIONS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ASK…“

SILENT KILLERS. SILENT KILLERS. SILENT KILLERS.