I once had it said to me, "You're an accident looking for a place to happen."
On another occasion I was given a tee-shirt with the slogan: “I must hurry and catch up with the others for I am their leader.”
OH,
by the way – I’m not laughing as I type these words – I’m cringing, for those
are not the most esteeming words I’ve ever heard in my life.
The
most difficult work you and I will ever do is the work of overcoming other’s
opinions of us. We’ve all made mistakes. I
admit to having done some pretty foolish and stupid things, and we’ve all had people
in our lives who try to give us their opinion on how to govern our lives.
In
the long run, do other’s opinions really matter? Are we so in bondage to their words and ideas
that we can’t move, or act, or think for ourselves?
Just
because ‘they’ say so doesn’t make it so.
You and I are only losers, low- life-types and undesirable IF we buy
into that bunk.
We
have a voice. We get to make good
choices along the way as well.
In
grade school, I heard some of my friends referred to as this:
“Fatty-fatty,
two-by-four, can’t get through
the kitchen door.”
“Hey
klutz.”
“You
stupid kid.”
“You
must be dumb or something.”
The
opinions that others hold of us really do not matter. It is what we believe about ourselves that is
important. I think Les Brown really
nails it down with this.
"Don’t let someone else’s opinion of
you become your reality."
And this old saying still works:
“If you think you can, you can”
Now,
there was a lot of room in my life for personal growth and development. And I was smart enough early in my adult life
to realize that and began taking the steps to do something about it.
I
began with Dale Carnegie’s How to Win
Friends and Influence People, and that led me to The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. Next came Psycho-Cybernetics
by Maxwell Maltz, and just a few years ago I discovered Brennan Manning’s Ragamuffin Gospel. That one was huge!
Soon
I was beginning to see the beginnings of a change in thinking and started the
journey toward a healthier self-esteem.
Did it happen overnight? Not by a
long shot. Even today I have moments of
self-doubt, and when that happens I pause, I change my ‘stinking thinking’ as
Zig Ziglar used to say, and remind myself that I am a capable and worthwhile
individual and I can figure out solutions for my life, and thanks to Brennan,
“God loves me as I am, not as I should be.”
In
time I found that I have a good and analytical mind and can think for
myself. And as far as other’s opinions,
I began choosing my own opinions and regard for myself.
The
mindset then becomes:
I’m not perfect but I am getting better
Other’s
opinions? I’m finding ways to ignore
them and am choosing my own view of self.
Try
it for yourself. It works.
Words of Hope
Encouragement Inspiration
One Word at a Time
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