I’ve got several movies lined up waiting to be reviewed and today is the first chance I’ve had to blog in a while… but before I get stuck into another whinge about gangsters, I thought I’d write about something a little closer to my heart… Something that has become glaringly apparent to me since starting this Top 30 Challenge blog and journey.
Oh yes, I used the word “journey”. You can blame it on all that reality TV I’ve been inhaling since completing my ‘No TV Challenge‘.
The other day, for the first time in a while (and probably the second or third time ever), I found myself uttering the phrase “Haters gonna hate“. Sadly, this time it’s got nothing to do with my full-steam progress towards a half marathon (that particular little engine left the station without me a few months ago, and there must be track work or something because the next one hasn’t turned up yet!)
No, throughout the past 8 months I have encountered so much excited positivity about the Top 30 List. I’ve completed 18 challenges now. That’s 18 new experiences I most certainly would not have had without the list. The best part has been sharing these experiences with friends and family… and strangers! For those who have been involved, even in just a small way (for example by reading and commenting on my blog), I hope that the list has brought a little more sunshine into your life too – even if it’s just because you had the chance to chuckle at me doing something silly (but especially if it inspired you to try something new yourself).
In the face of all that positivity however, I have also experienced a nasty undercurrent of negativity. I’m not the only one either. Just yesterday I was talking to someone about their experience of this very same thing (name withheld to protect the innocent). This person had an awful experience whereby they lost a very old and dear friend simply because that friend had become jealous. The jealousy was not inferred – the friend literally said “I can’t be friends with you anymore because your life is too good”.
WHAT THE?!
Don’t get me wrong, I suffer from jealousy too, but since when is it a better life strategy to de-friend all the happy people in your life? Sure, you may not be happy yourself, but hanging around exclusively with other unhappy people is not going to help you. In fact, it’s only going to make things worse, because by normalising that unhappiness you’re basically telling your brain to expect nothing different. Ever.
The best thing about happy people is that they’re usually wearing their happy coat. You know, the one with the coattails you can ride along on? Jump on and hold on tight I say because life is a bumpy ride… and riding through it attached to a coat sounds like a bunch of fun!
I’m usually a pretty happy person. Sometimes my happiness gets clouded with stress or worry, but you’ll usually find that if you direct me to the nearest de-stress method I’ll cheer back up pretty quickly. I have by no means tapped the fount of all earthly happiness, but I’m pretty stoked about all the fun stuff I’ve done this year. I’ve also found that by sharing it with others I’ve helped pay forward the happiness that my friends and family have helped me create for myself. It’s all rainbows and lollipops (and expertly crafted cakes 😉 ) in Top 30 World, people!
So, if I can climb down from my lofty steed for a moment… I just want to say one thing to all the haters out there:
Sticks and stones may break my bones but de-friending will hurt you more than it hurts me!
When I am confronted by a hater I tend to spend far too long analysing what they said before finally reaching the conclusion that they can go jump off a cliff. I’m interested to know, how do you deal with the haters in your life?
top30countdown 
I was going to un-cousin you through jealousy until I realised I would have to alter my genetic code. After that it all became a bit messy really.
Just as well!
Hater’s not only hate, but once they become jealous like that they can make your life a living hell. I have an ex- SIL who was a nightmare (she even started writing so she could ‘beat me at my own game’, but she fell flat) 😯 Notice I said ‘ex’ – yes, thank christ for that!
I may sound a little egotistical here, but I’m actually a very nice person and loyal friend. So if people don’t like me I think it’s their loss not mine. It’s a good way to think because you’re not constantly ‘seeking’ friendship or changing anything about yourself so people ‘like’ you, it just comes naturally 😀
Haha! As if writing for you was all about competing with her! I think you’re right Dianne. The more you just go with your own flow instead of trying to please unpleasable people, the easier life becomes!
It was really ridiculous! She even came over to my place one day with a load of papers in her hands (obviously a story) and said, “Game On!” LOL 😀