The Downside Of Success (And How To Deal With It!)

Do you ever sometimes feel like your weeks/months have a theme? Like no matter what you do or who you talk to, the same theme seems to rise up again and again?

On multiple occasions this week, the same topic has come up over and over: “no matter what you do, there will always be people who don’t like you.” And even though it’s as easy as can be (I believe my own mom tried to hammer this into my head around middle school age), it’s something that we tend to lose sight of.

Sure, back in those middle school days we may have had a couple of bullies who weren’t always the nicest to us but the concept of “haters” changes as we get older. No longer do we attract them by wearing clothes that they don’t like or because of who we hang around. As adults, the hard truth is that people will hate us simply because it’s something to do. And unfortunately, the more successful we become, the more haters tend to surface.

Now hear me out on this one — there is very little you can do, and there is certainly nothing you can do to rid yourself of them altogether. In fact, maybe it’s time that we start looking at it in a positive light. If we didn’t have haters, we probably weren’t doing all that we are capable of. I’m not saying that you should define yourself by your enemies, but as Winston Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

So while you’re doing your thing and blockin’ out the haters, here are a few things you can do to make it easier on yourself:

Remember that your success it about YOU, nobody else.

One of my biggest beliefs is that there is more than enough room in this world for everyone to be successful at whatever they want to do. By focusing on your own success and your own feelings of satisfaction, you are telling yourself that it’s okay to live by your own standards and rules. If you’re aiming to make everyone happy, eventually you’re going to burn out — and probably sooner rather than later. Focus on yourself first, and the rest will come.

Separate yourself from the negativity of others

Although this is more difficult in some situations than in others, if you’re able to separate yourself from the negative people in your life, you will be much happier for it. I know someone who’s motto in life is “kindness is always free to give.” I respect them for this view not only because they are always kind and giving themselves, but because it is always a reminder to me that we don’t NEED to surround ourselves with people who only bring us down. There are people out there who will be ecstatic to support us — those are the people we should surround ourselves with.

Stay strong in what you believe

When we are faced with the negativity and negative vibes of our haters, it’s all too easy to just react with our emotions. It’s natural to feel frustration, anger, hurt, or whatever emotion you feel, but it’s just as important to remember the consequences for acting out of those emotions. Keep your head on straight and remind yourself why you do what you do. People will hate you, throw their words in your face, and try to make you believe that you aren’t worthy of your success. Ignore them. You ARE worthy of all of the success in the world, and you will get there without their help. Keep doin’ you.

What do you do when the negativity of haters/enemies is bringing you down? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Originally published at www.tipsywriter.com on July 10, 2015.