STOP NEGATIVE PEOPLE FROM DESTROYING YOUR SELF-WORTH

Low self-worth can be a silent killer of your ambition. You want to follow your dream, but you feel inadequate because of negative voices.

If you’ve ever given up on your dream because of someone saying you weren’t good enough, you’re not alone. It’s time to regain your self-worth and stop letting negative people control your life.

How Negative People Destroy Your Self-Worth

Negative people get into your head, they can chip-away at your self-worth by projecting their limitations onto you.

This can be very discouraging and frustrating, which reminds me of when I first spoke in front of a live audience at a speech club.

There was a man named Jim, who was in his mid-60s, slim, with a cranky voice, who came up to me after my speech and said,

“You need to speak more clearly; you have too much slang in your voice. If you want to be good at public speaking, you need to speak more properly.”

His assessment of my speech made me feel inferior, and to make matters worse, several others in the audience approached me and said something similar.

Instead of examining their feedback to see if what they were saying had any merit, I just believed them and considered the way I talked a hindrance, so I needed to get rid of my street dialect.

I hired a speech pathologist and began a journey to speak more properly, even though I sounded robotic. I kept this up until I hired my first speech coach.

During our first session, Albert, a professional speaker in his late 50s who had earned millions in speaking fees, said, “Gene, I want to see a video of you speaking. Send me one after this first session.”

After the session, I sent him a video of me speaking at a speech club and scheduled our next session. A week later, we had our second session, and Albert said, “Gene, that is not the real you giving that speech in that video. You need to be yourself.”

I responded, “I tried to, but people have told me that having a street dialect is not clear, so I needed to learn to speak more properly.”

Albert said, “Gene, do I sound like I speak properly with a deep Ghanaian accent? Just so you know, my wife told me I would not be successful as a professional speaker because of my Ghanaian accent; instead of listening to her, I believed in myself, and because of that, I’ve had a very lucrative speaking career. So, stop listening to negative people and just be yourself.”

That’s exactly what I decided to do, and when Jim or the others in that club would try to get me to mold into something I wasn’t, I ignored them and kept being me.

That led to me getting paid speaking engagements, which is something that none of them in that club had ever accomplished.

You see, negative people will often see your potential and be threatened by it, so they will try to plant seeds of doubt in your mind about your capabilities.

If you believe them, like I did, it will start to destroy your self-worth. I know that is easier said than done, so I will give you ways to stop negative people from destroying your self-worth.

3 Ways to Stop Negative People from Destroying Your Self-Worth

1. Let Them Keep Their Limitations

First, recognize that the limitations others place on you are theirs, not yours. When people try to mold you, it’s often because they feel threatened.

They project their fears and insecurities onto you. It’s essential to reject their limitations and embrace your individuality. Stand firm in your identity and be who you are!

2. Stand in Your Value

Recognize your worth and stand firm in it. Confidence comes from self-acceptance. If someone tries to change you, remind them of your value. You have unique talents and dreams, so don’t let someone else devalue you or them.

3. Cut Out Toxic Influences

Finally, if negative individuals continue to try to control how you live your life, it may be time to distance yourself from them.

This can be difficult, especially if they are family or close friends. However, your mental health and self-worth must come first. Surround yourself with supportive people who uplift you and appreciate you for who you are.

Conclusion

Don’t let negative people destroy your self-worth. You have the power to achieve your dreams despite any negative criticism that may come your way.

Protect your self-worth by cutting out toxic influences from your life so you can create the life that reflects your true self and ambitions because you are WORTHY TO BE GREAT!