Tell that feeling to piss off, it’s not who you are

Cynics and skeptics have an insidious way of crippling the noblest intentions in even the strongest of minds. 

It’s this toxic thing that negative people do. Out of fear, they start scrambling. Infecting everyone around them with their soul stank. And if you’re not fully equipped with air tight boundaries, they can suck you down into their vortex of despair where you will be slowly digested over a thousand years. 

Sarlacc’s got nothing on a cynic.

The key to overcoming this dynamic is a solid combination of discernment, trust and focus. 

Discernment is figuring out what’s yours and what’s theirs. Listening for where you end and they begin. And separating your inner feelings from the feelings elicited by the behavior of others. As my mentor used to say, projection is people seeing in us what is actually operating within them. 

Next is trust. Meaning, knowing who you are. Knowing what you’re about. Remembering what is of prime importance to you. And having touchstones nearby remind you what is true. Like the one or two people you can always call who will mirror your genius back to you. 

Finally, focus. Which is your ability to stay awake, stay intentional and stay in touch with your core values no matter how reactive the people around you become. A friend of mine has a great mantra for this. Bring who you are, not what they want. That’s the holy combination for handling skeptics and cynics. 

Discernment, trust and focus. 

It’s the single best use of your time right now. 

As opposed ruining your whole day trying to teach negative people lesson. That move only works in the movies. 

Godin broke it down in his award winning blog. He wrote that people who sabotage your best work or undermine your confidence for selfish reasons, it’s not worth your time trying to prove them wrong. Because they don’t care. They won’t learn. They will stay cynics. They will ignore your success and go on to become skeptical of something else, dampening the enthusiasm of whoever else stands in their path. 

Next time you feel someone else’s negativity welling up inside of you, take a breath and tell that feeling to piss off. It’s not who you are. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Where are the toxic waste dumps in your emotional environment? 

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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