It's hard to not be hurt when you hear someone has been talking about you and what they have said is not nice. It's hard to not rage or want to defend yourself. We get upset, we play scenarios over in our heads about confrontation and we hurt. Why do we let people affect us that way? Why does someone's opinion matter? Well, because we are human and we FEEL things. The key is to remind ourselves that the person judging, the person who is expressing their OPINION about YOUR actions and YOUR life do not have a full picture. Chances are, if you really think about it, that person is feeling their own inadequacies and deflecting their own emotions upon you. This recently happened to me and so I took some time to meditate on it, to really think about it. I feel, as women especially, we can be so hard on other women and I believe it is because we relate, we see OURSELVES in other women and we judge those things we dislike, flaws we see in ourselves that we mirror in them. I see a movement happening, where women are supporting other women, I see the memes and I see the supporting posts; it's a start... It's easy to sit in the comfort of your own home and play nice, it's even easy to make yourself feel good by hitting the little ❤️ or "like" button, but if you truly want to SUPPORT others, maybe start by not saying something mean, by not sharing your nasty opinion. If you truly want to support another, SHOW UP for those you like and especially for those you love! Show up and make an effort to UNDERSTAND those you take the time to gossip about! Recognize the hurt you can cause. Sharing experiences, SHARING stories and how they effect us can be wonderful, but remember to be mindful about what you share. Be kind to yourself by being kind ABOUT others.
Diane Quartly
