Too often we allow ourselves to take criticism and judgment from someone who is not in a position to be giving out any sort of assessment or evaluation. They say things that make you question your strengths and abilities. They phrase things in a way that make you wonder just exactly what they are talking about. They say things that make you lie awake at night wondering about the intent and purpose of their words.
If you are like me, then you find yourself too often wondering about what people say about you and what people think about you. Situations arise and you have interactions with people that leave you feeling uneasy. They throw something vague into the conversation and you are unsure how you should take it or how you should respond and instead of countering their attack, you walk away and hours later you let it still circulate your thoughts.
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In that moment, you have let them win. You have given them the upper hand. The thing about these people is that this is their tactic. This is how they defend themselves. They make you question yourself and all the things that you can do and are capable of. They take countless words of praise and diminish it with one negative thing.
Consider your source. When things like that happen, look at who it is coming from. Is it coming from someone who respects you and appreciates you? Or is it coming from someone who is carefully watching your every move and waiting for the moment that you slip up so that they can draw attention to it? People who do that are usually trying to draw attention to you so that all eyes are looking at you and ignoring whatever that person might be doing.
Don't let them win. Own up to any mistakes that you make. When you are confronted by a person like that, consider the source. Keep in mind who they are and what kind of weight they carry. Do not allow yourself to be chastised by someone who is just trying to make things difficult for you.
Recognize your strengths and abilities. Own up to your shortcomings and make every effort to bridge the gap. Do not give them a reason to criticize you and when they do, turn the other cheek. They are looking to feed off of people like you to make themselves feel better about themselves.
