Let's face it, in today's world PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT YOU. Whether they do it to your face, among your friends, behind your back, on Facebook, to your parents, or whatever manner they see fit, they are GOING to talk about you. The more friends you have, the more business colleagues, the more employees, the more competitors, the more of everything ... the more it is going to happen.
I'll never forget about 4 months ago when I took a routine visit to a doctor's office. One of my friends is the office manager there. She came into the room and asked "How do you do it?". I quickly replied "How do I do what". She says, "I mean, my son was facing a little problem and was upset about something someone said about him. All I could think of was you. I told him, think about poor Matt Schuster. If that boy believed or got upset anytime someone said something about him, he would be on Xanax, Prozac, and every other upper/make you happy medicine that can be prescribed." I really admired what she said and appreciated it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true it really was. I'll admit, I have a lot of connections. Because of my position in the business world, childhood, upbringing, position on community boards, etc, I know A LOT of people. I know many people that are in this same position. With that comes the constant rumors, jealousy, and people trying to bring me down. I'll reiterate ... the more people you know, the more people are going to talk about you!
So, how do you deal with it? I personally wake up every day and have a decision to make. Am I going to have a good day or a bad day? As my day progresses, I have decisions with almost every step of the way. Especially when it comes to things that happen, rumors, etc. I ask myself: Am I going to let this ruin my day? I can quickly tell you what the answer is. Now, I'll admit, for a short period of time some things may bother me. That is certainly expected. But you have to look at the big picture of life and pick and choose what really bothers you.
What really matters in your life? Only you can answer that. I hear lots of motivational speakers because of my work. I hear lots of stories of success, failure, and change. I have also had a lot of friends that have gone through some major setbacks in life. Most of which they could never see coming. I have had friends and family pass away. Just think about it this way (and yes, I will use a personal example but remove the names out of respect). A very dear friend of the family went in to the doctor because they were having headaches. This person went through a series of tests and in just a short period of time was told by doctors that they had less than 1 year to live. I can't even imagine!!! Here is someone, in their earlier 40's with children, that just had their life completely changed in a matter of seconds. They battled this rare disease, even had to be transferred out of town and spent most of their remaining time in a hospital. I can't even begin to describe the effect it had on my parents. My mother even spent weeks at a time in the hospital just sitting by their bed so they wouldn't have to be alone. Here was one of their very very best friends from the day we moved to Huntsville that was now in a constant struggle for their life. Unfortunately they moved on to a better place and left a family behind. This really changed my outlook on things.
You hear stories like this each and every day. Think about that parent that never got to say goodbye to their son who's life was taken by another drunk drive after prom night. Think about that person that had to land after a 6 hours business flight only to be met at the airport with the news that their son committed suicide. These thoughts help me get through each day and help me shape what really is important in my life. Each time I hear what someone has said about me, or hear thinks that I know are not true, these things pop in my head and the little things are soon forgotten.
So when times get rough, or something you hear upsets you, ask yourself: Should I really let this bother me?
No comments:
Post a Comment