People can be terrible. Everyone knows that. But have you ever gone to someone excited about a project or idea and all they do is point out the negatives about it or tell you that you won’t succeed? I definitely have. When I was fourteen, I was talked out of welding because it was “a man’s job and you don’t want to work around a bunch of men.” I then wanted to go into autobody repair in college and got the same reaction. Recently, I told a trusted someone that I was going to do lifeguard training and I was told all the ways that I wouldn’t succeed and then they proceeded to tell me why. That’s a lot to take in and brought me to tears.

Just Because You Didn’t Succeed Doesn’t Mean I Won’t

I feel like, a huge reason people are always pointing out negatives, is because they have failed. This may not always be to discourage you, but to let you know that things can go wrong. But I feel like a lot of people go about this the wrong way. Instead of listening to the person and acknowledging the person’s idea and encouraging them to follow through with their dreams, often times, they’re faced with responses like “have you thought this through?” or “I’m not sure about that. Seems like a lot of work.” Can we PLEASE get past this way of thinking? I understand the concern that loved ones have for one another, but that doesn’t mean you have to discourage the person that’s wanting to share their life with you. Soon enough, that person won’t share anything at all. I’ve gotten to that point with people before. There are very few I share anything with.

Sorry You View Me That Way

When you’re met with negativity, it can seem like the person already sees you as a failure and that you aren’t capable of accomplishing anything. It will make you not want to follow through with your plans because you’ve been discouraged. This feeling often comes from the ones closest to us, like parents or siblings. In some cases, I don’t feel like the person is looking out for you. I really do think that some people are miserable and have no positive thought in their mind and don’t care how they make others feel. Those people should be kept at an arms length away.

Shutting Down the Conversation

I’ve been excited about a few projects I have going on around the property where I live. I’ve started a garden and have gotten a few farm animals. I have gotten some strange looks when it comes up in conversation. I mentioned that I have chickens to a woman last week and she looked at me in pure disgust, scrunched her face, and said, “Chickens are so gross.” The conversation ended after that.
Now, I’m not expecting much from a young coworker that I hardly know, but the fact that someone would shut down a conversation like that is strange to me and shows they may have a few deeper things going on.

The Harasser

There are also people that will stalk your social media or other sites in hate. I posted a comment a few years ago about racism. I said something along the lines of, “It’s awesome that children don’t see color.” It was an innocent comment not directed towards a race at all. I was trying to communicate that maybe we need to be more like children when it came to the color of someone’s skin. One of my followers saw it and immediately started messaging me and calling me a racist. She commented on all of my photos and called me disgusting. I’m not sure what she thought she read but it wasn’t anything close to what I commented. I blocked the account and a new profile came up within seconds and started harassing me. It was obviously her. She left her name off as if to appear anonymous but it was clear who it was. Anonymous lurkers are too afraid to tell who they really are, even though we usually know who it is. It’s sad, actually. Don’t let these people bring you down. Don’t try to clear the air. It’s not worth the wasted time and energy. Block or ignore them and let them live in their misery.

Learn. Work. Grow.

When you’re learning something new or working towards a goal, it’s important to know of all the things that can go wrong. It’s part of it. Anything can happen. But, as long as you’re continuously researching and bettering your understanding of whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish, you can do it! I’ve been immersing myself in homestead life knowledge. There are endless articles, videos, and websites that I have visited and taken notes from. Please don’t let the negativity of others bring you down. Move forward and make it happen!