Be who you are & feel the love of all those who accept you for your true essence!

Be who you are & feel the love of all those who accept you for your true essence! – Tony Robbins

Haters are going to hate you for going a different direction. Pity their lack of vision, sympathize with their pain, and forgive their sharp tongues. Be yourself.

What does that mean?
This is a great quote, as it is all about being authentic. You have to be who you are. You can’t be someone else, even if you wanted to. It just doesn’t work.

This quote also acknowledges that haters are going to hate. You can’t do anything about that. Just be who you are. Yes, the hate is annoying, but only as much as you let it be. Don’t let it get to you.

The quote goes on to remind you that there are those who appreciate you, and who love you. Some do so despite your true essence, and others because of it. Remember, you aren’t here to prove anything.

The quote just asks you to be true to yourself, ignore those who can’t handle it, and bask in the love of all who can. Life is too short for hate. Ignore the haters and be who you are.

Why is inner strength important?
Don’t get me wrong. It’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and say to ignore the haters. But when you’re on the street or at work or in a public place and the haters start talking, it’s a little harder. But the point is that it is not impossible. What if they called you a “scruffy-looking Nerf herder,” would it hurt?

I doubt it, as it is a line from a science fiction movie, about a non-existent creature. What if you treated every insult in the same manner? What if you simply refused to respond? Again, it will still sting inside, but it will help you become stronger by resisting, one hater at a time.

And in this manner, we build our inner strength. There are alternatives, like developing a thicker skin. But that kind of armor tends to block everything, good and bad. To a person in armor, they are immune both to arrows and to hugs. But by developing inner strength, we can ‘roll with the punches’ and continue on with our lives, free to feel the love.

This inner strength often includes forgiveness and sympathy. The words of a hater may sting, but it is easier to be strong if you pity them for their weakness and their hate. Even easier if you can be sympathetic to their plight. And if you can forgive them, what sting is left in their words?

Where can I apply this in my life?
I imagine we can all use it in our lives, and in more than one area on most days. Even the popular people have their detractors. And if you have a quirk or something you like to do that isn’t exactly normal, you can expect to get some grief. That, sadly, is how it goes some days.

There are people out there who can only feel good about themselves when they are putting other people down. And that is where your inner strength comes into play. How can the words of someone so damaged or twisted inside actually hurt you? Instead of feeling hurt, feel pity for them and their plight.

Can you think of a time when you were feeling so isolated or hurt that all you could do was to lash out at others? Can you ever remember being so lonely that seeing anyone having fun hurt you to the core, and caused you to say some truly hateful things? Can you feel sympathy for these poor wretches?

The final step in building your inner strength is to forgive them. You don’t have to approve of their actions or words to forgive them, you simply have to let go of your hurt and your anger. Your only other choice is to let them pull you down to their level. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that place, not one bit.

That takes care of the haters. As you develop your inner strength, you will find that your fear of them recedes, and leaves you in a position to do things which might have drawn unwanted attention from others. Now you have a bit more freedom to be who you truly are, and not be deterred by the haters.

As an example, I have a few bold colored shirts in the work rotation, including the on I wore yesterday, the one which is bright fuchsia. It has been known to draw some attention, and I’ve had some people say things to me. But I ignore that just as if they had called me a Nerf herder (scruffy or not), and I don’t let it bother me one bit.

And with your strength with you, and no armor to deaden the blows, you can also feel the love, full force. For there will always be those who love you, both for who you are, as well as for who they are. Just as some people can only hate, there are those who are their opposite as well.

Enjoy your strength. Enjoy the freedom it gives you. Enjoy being who you are and not being afraid of anyone. And enjoy the love from those who care. That is, in my opinion, the best of all of it. But it comes from strength. Keep building it until no one can insult you, and no harm can come from mere words.

And don’t forget to bite your tongue the next time you feel something hateful come to mind. They don’t need to hear it, and you don’t really want to say it. Feel pity for that reaction, let the feeling go, and forgive yourself. Then smile and be one of those who love and accept others.

From: Twitter, @tonyrobbins
confirmed at : https://twitter.com/tonyrobbins/status/399593741595312128 it’s his feed…
Photo by Kate Ter Haar