The best way to stop haters dead in their tracks, is by responding with love and kindness. Wait! what? Yep, you heard me, the best way to respond to negative people is with love, and kindness, loads of it!
It’s easy to want to fight back, and prove who we are in response to rude people. Sometimes those people, want to evoke a dramatic response out of us, and we fall straight into their trap. When in actual fact we should pause, catch our breath, and decide in those moments that we will choose love and kindness. Which will in turn speak mountains about the quality of your character compared to the character of your hater. This will also take your hater by surprise, and maybe cause them to question their behaviour, it may even encourage them to be nicer to you.
Choosing kindness
I once worked with someone, who constantly pulled me apart and put me down. It was so hard working with her, that I feared going to work every single day. Until one day, I tried something different, I started responding to her with more love and kindness. It wasn’t easy, as I felt so frustrated by her, but I knew in my heart that I needed to go out of my way to show her kindness regardless of her poor behaviour.
After awhile this woman’s walls came down, and she became more vulnerable with me, and I started to see how broken she was, which explained why she was treating others so poorly. All she needed was love and kindness to be lavished upon her, which in turn softened her heart, and turned us into friends instead of work enemies.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
Acts of kindness soften hard hearts
Truth be told it would have been easier to ignore her, or to distance myself from her and treat her poorly in return. Therefore, choosing something that went against my natural defensive coping mechanism, wasn’t easy, but it became so rewarding for both parties concerned!
Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. – Mark Twain
If you are faced with difficult, hard to love people in your day-to-day, then why not stop to think of ways you could show more love and kindness towards them? Maybe encourage them by encouraging their outfit, or by encouraging them on something personal. You could even make them a cup of coffee, send them an encouraging email, or give them something nice even if it’s not their birthday or maybe volunteer to help them with their workload. Sometimes the smallest of acts, make the biggest and most significant impact in the hearts of others.
Kindness opens the doors of somebody else’s heart whilst keeping it soft, as well as yours. Choose kindness and love, and let it lead us and others in our day to day.
Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. – Proverbs 16:24