The Power of Kindness: How to Handle Negativity & toxic comments
“Don’t take it to heart. Don’t get angry right away.” These are golden words to live by when faced with mean comments or terrible things said about you. Whenever I encounter negativity, I find myself asking, “How is this person doing? Are they having a bad day? Are they feeling well? Are they in a good place? Who might they have had a fight with?” It often seems like they’re passing their anger and negativity onto me, and it’s up to me to deal with it with kindness.
Over the past five years, I’ve had to deal with many such energies. People have insulted me to my face, tried to humiliate me, and attempted to destroy my character even though they didn’t know me. I remember an incident in Baguio where a woman fabricated a complete lie using my name to get closer to a local celebrity. The sad part is, I didn’t even know her. I was only made aware of her existence after hearing the lie. This made me realize that even strangers can try to destroy you just because they want to create an issue to gain attention. These dangerous lies can only be dealt with through prayer, hoping that the truth will eventually come to light.
Facing such character assassination has taught me that I need a wider space to spread my wings. Each time a stranger tries to destroy me, my only armor is faith, truth, and kindness. Kindness, even if it is unreturned. Patience, and sometimes a bit of psychological analysis, help in understanding the situation better.
Life in Manila has been challenging — nothing comes easy here. But I’ve learned to extend my understanding, forgive, and set healthy boundaries. It’s not about you. Most of the time, it’s about the heavy wounds another person has sustained. The greater the need to destroy, the deeper their wounds. This means you must pray longer and tell the Lord your burdens more often.
In the end, handling negativity with grace is about maintaining kindness and faith, understanding that the negativity directed at you often stems from the pain of others. By holding on to these principles, you can navigate through the challenges with a positive and resilient spirit.