Over the past several months, I have had some tough experiences that have tested my ability to hold fast to who I know I am and what I stand for, despite some of my family’s opinions about how I am showing up.
A prominent problem is that no matter what we know about who we are, or why we are doing what we are doing, the temptation to engage in a battle with those who are at war is still there. The battle for me looked like explaining my point of view, trying to convince family members that they are _____________ (fill in the blank).
The solutions showed up in unexpected ways. One was through Jody Moore, a great life coach I follow. She gave a fabulous podcast episode Allowing People To Be Wrong About You that brilliantly sums up the ability to hold our power and be true to who we really are, despite what others think about us.
I want to just offer to you the idea that you could just allow other people to be wrong about you. You could just give them permission to be wrong about you. Isn’t that nice of us to do? Because they are going to choose to think whatever they want to. We can’t control them. And for some reason, our brains think that if we resist it and we get mad about it, then in some way we’re going to control what they think about us. Except that when we’re resisting and mad and fearful and insecure, we actually usually end up with people thinking even more negative thoughts about us. –Jody Moore
There are times when standing firm and speaking truth is absolutely essential and good. In this particular experience, it was not wise for me to engage because those on the other side were not willing to see another viewpoint or honor where I am coming from.
I invite you to listen to the episode and decide how you can allow people to be wrong about you and move forward anyway.
It matters!
