Congratulations, You've Got Haters!

As much as people may try to cover it up, or pretend they don't care, we all want to be liked. Once the facade crumbles, and we're left alone with our thoughts, no one wants to be truly hated. We all want to be accepted for who we are, and feel like we matter to someone. Unfortunately, very few things in this world work out in favor of our desires. Sometimes, someone comes along and pisses in your cereal, perhaps even literally. Whether it's a result of jealousy, and envy, or just plain ignorance, we all receive hate from someone. It is a beast that takes many forms.

It doesn't matter how friendly you try to be, or what your intentions are, you will learn that someone out there doesn't like you. It's important that you don't let this get you down. You have to remember that all life's problems are temporary. Life itself is temporary. Even if you made a mistake, and feel you deserve whatever hate is sent your way, you're probably wrong. Unless you committed some actual atrocity against another living being, you don't deserve any contempt from anyone.

We all make mistakes, but when emotions run high, we forget these things, and just start reacting. The results are often either emotional, or physical pain, but there is a plus side. You can't put a price tag on the lessons you learn from being actively hated by someone. Seeing what arises passion in another will show you a glimpse of their priorities if you pay close attention. Think of it as deciphering a drunk text, but with body language, and subtle verbal cues instead of “wooo” and nonsense words. With enough practice, you'll be able to figure anyone out.

Anyone willing to fight on behalf of another is clearly passionate about their relationships. Just like anyone who only talks about themselves is clearly only looking out for their self. Odds are, if someone ridicules your success, no matter how small, they wish they had it. Regardless of how anyone treats you, if you're true to yourself, you have the power to be impervious to hate. Accept all haters with open arms. It may not seem this way at first, but each one is a gift. Bless their jealous, petty, insecure hearts.

When faced with criticism, or just flat-out hate, it's important to remain level-headed. Adding more raw emotion into an already volatile situation will only make matters worse. You should also never apologize for who you are, or how you feel, you'll only regret it later. However, this doesn't mean that you should feel above apologizing for a mistake. You'll find growth in humility as well, just don't let anyone pressure you into a more humble stance. That's submission, not humility, and there's a big difference.

Strong feelings result in strong statements, and it's those that cause the most waves in the world, for better or worse. Only talking about the positive things in life results in delusion, not progress, but not everyone can handle harsh truths. If you're saying or doing something that causes a few people to start slinging insults or passive-aggressive comments your way, you've sparked something inside them. Oftentimes, instead of people going after their own issues, they go after the one who made them uncomfortable with themselves. Introspection is a very underrated quality, and practicing it without bias is not easy.

Yelling at, and placing blame upon someone else is a lot easier than reevaluating your own position, but it's not nearly as helpful. Sure, you might feel good for a moment getting to vent a bit, but any dispute without a true desire for positive change helps no one. The squeaky wheel doesn't always get the grease, that's just something people like to say to make themselves feel better about bitching. It's natural to complain, but it must be done so constructively. This is a lesson that has become abundantly clear for me recently.

I was once made responsible for the words of another simply because I'm associated with them. Even though some people would wish me to feel guilty, I know that I was not in the wrong. Nevertheless, I was briefly convinced that I was the one at fault. It felt terrible for a while, but upon realizing this problem was temporary, and ultimately unimportant, I was able to quickly move on. Their anger did not serve me, so it was cast aside. Deal with enough hate in your life, and it'll eventually start bouncing off of you like bullets on Superman's chest.

Getting any kind of negativity from another is an opportunity to create something positive. Every one of life's downfalls holds a valuable lesson. It's important to not let emotion overcome you, and cause that lesson to pass you by, hidden in a cloud of anger or sadness. The truth is, you're not going to be liked by everyone, and you're not always going to be understood. You can let this bring you down or you can be mindful, and recognize the feelings at hand. If you can accept them, and let them pass, you're doing well. If you can learn from them, and inspire growth within yourself, you're being masterful. Embrace the hate, let it flow through you, and manifest into a more empowered you.