Trolls and Naysayers can be very frustrating and annoying to deal with. They can distract and discourage you from pursuing your goals. At every step, you will encounter the naysayers. To be successful in life one must master the ability to overcome them.
Here are 5 ways to overcome the naysayers:
1. Ignore them. They are a distraction. The bigger your dreams or goals the more the naysayers will flood in. Don’t let their words sink in and take root. Don’t give them residency status in your head instead redirect them to your short term memory. People will always have something negative to say. Stay focused.
“You wouldn't invite a thief into your house, Why would you let negative people invade your mind?” ~Unknown
2. Respond don’t react. If you must engage in discussion, respond politely & respectfully. Let your emotions subside. Never respond in the heat of the moment. If you respond wisely sometimes you can win them over. However, don't waste time trying to convince them. Additionally, not all criticism is a bad thing. There is a difference between constructive criticism and personal attacks. Decipher which it is and be open to listen and learn.
" You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." ~Winston Churchill
3. Safeguard your Dreams. We are in the age of oversharing. You don't have to share everything. Be very selective about who you share your goals and dreams with especially when it’s in the infancy stage. You don’t have to let everyone know what you are planning on doing. This is life and not everyone will like you or want to see you succeed. Don’t take it personally, it is not a measure of your self–worth.
4. Take control of your environment. If certain individuals are constantly bringing you down, it’s time to eliminate them. Pick your battles wisely. I see so many people even those who you think should know better engaging in online battles with trolls. You can't win someone who is hiding behind a computer whose goal is to break your spirit. On Social Media you can simply block them. If it’s someone you cannot avoid then reduce contact with them or just tune out when they are speaking.
5. Personal development. Develop thicker skin. Remember it’s not about them. It's about you. They are just an extra in your movie whilst you have the leading role. Seek continuous self-improvement. Negativity offers us a chance to evolve and learn from our experiences. Personal development (spiritual, emotional, mental, social and physical) is crucial.
" Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind." ~Christian D. Larson
The 20-80 principle advocates that 20 percent of the people you have to deal with produce 80 percent of the problems. Negativity is always all around but it’s important not to let it paralyze us. Everything in life must be used as a growing experience. If we only receive positive feedback we would become complacent and wouldn’t grow. In order to succeed, we must learn how to recognize and embrace what’s beneficial and quickly discard the meaningless.
Additionally it's always wise to look in the mirror and make sure we are not being a troll. Negative words hurt. If you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say anything at all. Be kind, you don’t know what an individual had to go through to reach where they are. Instead of trying to tear people down, build them up.
Check out my book:
The Edge of Leadership: A Leader’s Handbook for Success
It fills a certain void in the leadership application processes, by combining basic principles and methodologies of leadership with Life Lessons. Many leaders do not "fail" because of skill, experience or intelligence but due to lack of wisdom.
To Your continued Success!
Cheers! 🍸🍹🍑🍒🍇
