Sticks and Stones: do others' opinions of you effect your own?

"When you judge another, you do not define them. You define yourself."

From our childhood playgrounds to parent-teacher conferences as adults, we've all been there. We learn of an opinion or judgment about us that is not only unkind, it's just plain wrong.

As kids, discovering that negative falsehoods are being said about us can be utterly devastating. None of us want to be the outcast. All we want is to be invited to the party; to feel like we belong. Luckily, we grow into our own skin and learn who we are. Our longing [to fit in] is less about personal validation and more of a barometer for attracting like-minded people.Being a former cocaine-snorting-nude-dancer-party-girl, I've been labeled Hooker, Junkie, Ho, Slut - the list is typical. Even before my nine-year career on the pole, I was on the hurtful end of verbal daggers. The skin disease on my face inspired the high school nick-name Freddy Kruger. By the time I was in my 20's, I learned to roll with the naysayer vibe (no matter how annoying).There's no better way of developing personal endurance than having your self-worth tested by assholes.So what about now? How do we, as adults handle it when dark clouds of negative people overshadow our light? I've recently come face-to-face with this question thanks to a grown woman using valuable cell phone minutes to slander my name.The immediate questions are obvious: Who's hearing this bullshit? and Do they believe any of it?After percolating the situation and realizing the why of it all, I released my questions into the universe. The 20-something in me had a little talk with the middle-aged broad tapping away on these keys today -  and we both agreed upon a course of action. I'm going to do absolutely nothing.When it comes to negative (not to mention false) gossip about us, we need to remember: the people who know us won't believe it, and the people who believe it don't know us. Either way, it's out of our control. Besides, everybody has a right to their opinion. The question we need to ask is - do we allow others' opinions or judgments about us to influence how we feel about ourselves? We already know the answer.Life is fleeting. It's a beautiful struggle. There are enough land minds to survive without anyone's assistance. Don't make space for unnecessary bullshit. If you need a mantra to remember that, feel free to use mine: *What other people think of me is none of my business. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Your thoughts? 

  *Quotes written by Wayne Dyer