Inner Pretty: How Not to be One of Those Obnoxious People Bothering Others

I think GG really hit the nail on the head with her recent post, Misery Business: How to Stop Letting Obnoxious People Bother You. We can all relate to how annoying it is to be the target—or even caught in the crossfire--of someone else’s misery spreading spree.

But just important to be aware of, is the kind of energy we are spreading; and how we can avoid being one of those negative, complaining, obnoxious people that make others want to run in the other direction. Sometimes, we are so wrapped up in own issues that we forget to be cognizant of others around us.

"If you don't have anything nice to say to someone, then don't say it." This is the best rule of thumb. No matter how helpful you think you’re being, keep in mind that you may not have all the information about the situation you’re judging. And even if you do—it’s usually better to be quietly empathetic, than loudly judgmental. If the situation was reversed, wouldn’t you want a little compassion?

It can be so so difficult at times—especially when you’re in a situation where you have others with whom to commiserate (like at work)—but don’t complain. The more attention and energy you give a negative situation, the more it grows. You’re feeding it and giving it life. Walk away from it. Breathe through it. Meditate through it. Chant your favorite mantra. Use your self-talk to turn those negatives in your situation into positives. Create the silver lining. And you’ll find, that the fewer opportunities you give people to draw you into a cloud of complaining, the less they’ll come to you to talk about things that bring you down.

Be so focused on yourself and whatever you’re trying to achieve, that you don’t have time to worry about what anyone else has got going on (in other words, mind your business). Focus is an amazing thing—it will go wherever you lead it! Channel your energy into taking positive steps towards creating the life/career/family you want, instead of on what others could be doing for themselves. You’ve got your journey; they’ve got theirs. And that’s how it’s supposed to be.


photo via Pinterest