With the rise of social media and online forums has also come an increase in the sharing of opinions. Or to put it more bluntly, there seems to be many more people quick to provide a snarky comment or an uninformed tirade. This can also spill in to ‘real life’, with back-handed compliments and less-than-constructive criticisms.
As a business owner, how do you stay strong in the face of these types of comments? How do you avoid wasting your energy on trying to work out other people’s intentions or motives?
The first way is to not give away your power; that is, don’t allow others to control the way your think, feel or behave. Make a decision that those remarks aren’t going to take up space in your head, or affect your day. Take deep breaths, and if need be, walk away from a situation.
Another important aspect is not to stoop to the criticizer’s level. Maintain your integrity and don’t be tempted to respond in kind. However, this doesn’t mean you will always keep your mouth shut! There are still times when you need to speak up when it is warranted. If your response is purely to get the last word in, it is not worthwhile. But if it is to call out inappropriate behavior, a constructive response may be needed.
Finally, you need to assess whether you are surrounded by negative and energy sapping people. Renowned businessman Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with”. Great relationships are reciprocal, where people bring out the best in one another. Constructive people ask themselves, am I acting in a manner that brings other people down, rather than raising them up? If so, what else can I bring to other people's lives to help them?
Although it is possible to build your capacity to deal with tough situations, constant negativity and stress will take a toll on your well-being. You need people around you who will challenge you and assist you to improve. If you are consistently associating only with negative people, it is far more likely that they will rub off on you, rather than the other way around.
