"Consider the source."

This phrase is what I could always expect to hear from my mom when I would tell her the latest thing I discovered someone was saying about me.

It didn't matter if it was a classmate calling me stupid or my best friend spreading rumors behind my back, my mom would always respond the same way.

At times, this response was extremely frustrating. I cannot count how many times I would have tears streaming down my face, trying to catch my breath because of someone's hateful words, and all I wanted was a little sympathy. My mom would be sure to comfort me, however, she would still tell me to, "consider the source."

It's easy to feel sorry for yourself when someone knocks you off your feet. It doesn't matter if it's pointing out a physical flaw you're well aware of, or a rumor that is nowhere near the truth - people have a way of making us feel so small. It's easy to let these bullies or haters, or whatever you want to call them, make us feel bad about ourselves, but honestly, their hatefulness shows more about their character than our own.

That's exactly what my mom meant by her advice. She didn't get upset with me and try to tear the person down because she understood that what those people were saying reflected who they were, not me.

One of my favorite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

I know that's a lot easier said than done, but life feels so much better when you don't care what awful people think about you. You should definitely take into consideration what your parents, friends, and mentors have to say because usually, those people have your best interest at heart. However, people who make an effort to make you small should not be given the honor of making an imprint on your life.

We carry this great weight on our shoulders of always caring what everyone thinks, but there are people in our lives who have no business being there in the first place, and it seems that those opinions are the ones that are the heaviest. It's time to let them stop crushing us and just let it roll off our backs.