Don’t let others change you.
There are bad people in the world.
There really is no getting around it. We may be strong, we may say our prayers, we may meditate and try to create protective bubbles around ourselves, but nothing can truly stop us from having to encounter bad people.
These people come in so many different forms it can be difficult to keep track. They’re our co-workers, people from school, people from church, “friends,” even family members can be bad people.
It can be next to impossible to keep bad people from entering your life, but don’t ever stop being a good person just because you’ve encountered a bad person.
True change always comes from within. Change that comes from external sources isn’t real change. It’s not the kind of change you need, and really, that kind of change won’t ever stick. And who needs it anyway? You’re better than being changed by bad people.
It’s the sign of a strong person to resist changes that you don’t want and continue being the person that you want to be, regardless of what other people want or how you’ve been made to feel by the bad people of the world.
Be a good person for yourself.
Wanting to be a good person because of other people is a sort of fake goodness. Doing good things and being a good person should be motivated by your sense of self, not what you think others might feel or think of you. Be a good person for yourself.
When you are good to others, others will be good to you. Everyone does better when everyone does better. Letting bad people take the goodness from your character is a sign that you were never really a good person for yourself. If you were, bad people would not be able to rob you of your goodness. Be a good person for your own reasons, not because of anyone else.
An eye for an eye…
Mohandas Gandhi is said to have used the phrase “an eye for an eye will leave everyone blind.” At least, it was popularized in the biopic film Gandhi. If you turn your back on being a good person just because there are bad people in the world, and in turn start doing bad things yourself, all you’ve really done is left everyone blind – that is, everyone is hurt.
Bad people will inflict hurt on others, even you. If you pass on their bad deeds and make them your own, all you’ve done is amplify the effect of the bad person’s actions. But you can also halve their impact by turning around and being good to others. Don’t pass on their hate.
Believe there is good.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a good person. I think I’m a good person too. So that makes two of us. You’re not alone in your goodness. There are others just like you who feel the same way you do.
So when you experience bad people, remember, there is still good in so many places in the form of many different people. You aren’t alone. Stand strong in the face of the bad people of the world. You’ll shrink their influence, amplify your own, and help build a better world.