There was a time that I would have let this really get to me. I'd chew on it, I'd be bothered by it. I'd lose sleep over it... I'd take it out weeks down the road and work over it again and again. But I'm not going to do that this time.
I've learned some things about people and about myself over the last few years... some things that are easy to remember, and some things that I have to remind myself.Not everyone is going to like you... even the most perfect among us is going to find people who will pick them apart. So you can't let the people who abhor you define who you believe that you are. They see you through black-tinted glasses, and they're going to see what they want to see. They're going to interpret your words and actions in the way that supports what they think about you... and I'm not sure that there's really a lot that you can do about that. The only person you can control is you.
But the part you can control is not letting their opinion about you matter. If they hate you that much, I'd be willing to bet that they aren't someone that you like a lot either. So why are you letting them matter? Why are you allowing yourself to lose sleep over someone whose opinion you needn't care about that much anyway?
Do you know whose opinion does matter? Yours. Your friends. Your family. The people who love you and who you love... the people who are important in your life. Their opinions of you matter... but the people who hate you? They honestly don't. And if you're letting yourself get worked up over the opinions of people who don't figure into the value of your life at all... you have to ask yourself Why? Why do they get to matter?
I once was trying to explain to my husband about a situation that had me upset, trying to communicate why I was bothered. After I got done speaking, he said to me something that has stuck with me for a long time. And what he said was this:
"I can understand why you're upset...
but what I don't understand is why you would let the opinion of
bitter unhappy people change the person that you are."
And he was right...
So what I want to say today is this...
To the person who hates me... I'm honestly sorry that you do, and I hope that what you said last night made you feel better. I don't hate you, and I can afford to be forgiving. I just think that we have very different value systems and perhaps those don't mesh well together.
To the person hurt by someone who hates them... I'm so sorry for your hurt. Something I have learned is that oftentimes the way someone treats you is far more about who they are than who you are. Wrap yourself in the love of the people who love you and know that you have much to offer the world. Don't hide your candle because of an ill wind. The world needs your light. Please don't let them change who you are.
