People always seem to have something to say. They have opinions about others, and you may be part of those opinions. This can be quite distracting. Remember that criticizing someone takes no effort. This means that these people have really put no effort into what they are saying. Therefore, use these tips to try and make their efforts less effective.
- Surround yourself with positive people.
Spending time with negative people will break your spirits over time. Try to avoid these people as much as possible. When you instead spend time with positive people, that will rub off on you. These positive people are less likely to have negative opinions about you. - Prove naysayers wrong.
People often have opinions about you because they don’t believe in your abilities. Put that to rest by showing them how wrong they are about the situation. - Don’t be your own worst enemy. If you beat down your abilities, so will everyone else. Have confidence in yourself, and that confidence will show through. Even when people have opinions, your confidence will help you ignore them.
- Consider why others are making opinions about you.
Sometimes, what others say about you may be true. Perhaps you did something that wasn’t right, and you don’t admit to it being a problem. Try to reflect on what they said. - Treat what others say about you as it being none of your business.
When you have this attitude that it is none of your business, you can go on with your life and not worry about what others believe. - You cannot please everyone and shouldn’t try. Some people like to complain about everything. There is simply no pleasing these people. Why bother trying? Even when you do try, they won't respond. They will continue to complain or have their opinions. Don't waste your time on them. You can spend that time with people who believe in you.
- Know that making mistakes will help you learn.
You may be afraid of making mistakes in front of others. When you do, people may have an opinion about those mistakes. As long as you learn something from your mistakes, that will serve you well in your life. When you realize this, you will be less afraid to make mistakes. - People won’t always do what they advise you to do.
You have heard a few people say, “if I were you I would…” The trouble is when you see those people faced with the same situation, they don’t even come close to doing what they suggested. Therefore, when you hear that phrase, ignore it and trust your own judgment. - Don’t be opinionated about others.
If you are always criticizing others, you will gain a bad reputation for doing so. This will cause others to do the same to you. What goes around comes around, as they say. Don’t get caught up in this negative behavior. Some people will still form opinions about you, but it won’t be because you are opinionated yourself.
Here are three action steps you can take:
- Write down three mistakes that you have made in the past five years. When you list them, try to remember the lesson you learned from those mistakes. When you show that you are not afraid to make mistakes, others will admire this and be drawn to you.
- Think of two people you had opinions about in the past. Upon learning more information about them, were you wrong? Try to use this information the next time you are compelled to make opinions about others.
- List any opinions others have made about you. Which of those opinions were correct? It's challenging to be honest with ourselves. However, if those opinions are well-founded, they can help you improve yourself.
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