Prove Them Wrong and Kill Them With Kindness
My secret weapon
I find it fascinating yet unfortunate how those who judge, dislike, or have little faith in you often turn out to be family. Not always, of course, but mostly. And guess what? Most of the time, those are the ones we end up proving wrong, and not on purpose.
Ultimately, we do it for ourselves, with the satisfaction of showing that we achieved big things all by ourselves, without their approval or help. In fact, their doubts sometimes even push us to our highest potential.
Thank you!
Using myself as an example: if you don’t already know much about me, long story short, my parents divorced when I was five years old. They were about 17 and 18 years old when I was born, so I can just imagine babies having a baby was not an easy task for them.
It’s inevitable when two young people separate; it takes a lot of maturity to focus on a child of their own instead of themselves, which is what happened with my parents. I saw the difference in both sides of my family when they called it quits.
One side of my family is close-knit, supportive, and spiritual while my mother’s side is not. They often spoke badly about my parents in front of me and gave my mother bad advice.
Of course, it was her choice whether or not to listen to them, but my mother was very young and naive, and I would say 95% of her actions were based on her family’s advice.
As I grew older, I began to notice the family dynamics more. I observed how one side became combative towards me, and I never understood why.
In short, they had no idea how toxic they were — or should I say, are.
So here I am, throughout the years, still proving them wrong as a successful 34-year-old woman who never had to ask for their help because, in the end, I did it with the support of the people who love me unconditionally, and through my own hard work, dedication, and mindset.
Despite all the challenges, I treated them with kindness. I respected them, and I felt no animosity towards them whatsoever because in the end, that was not going to help me in any way. As a teenager, yes, I might have harbored feelings of “hate” towards them, but I got over it once I entered adulthood.
I just wanted a loving family, everyone to get along. If my mother’s side of the family disliked my father for whatever reason, I always felt that was something they could have kept to themselves — not express or bash their feelings to a child — me. My perspective of my father is what matters to me; my mother wasn’t a saint either, you know.
Their unnecessary hate allowed me to be a different type of person and not let their negativity affect me.
Miserable people thrive on dragging everyone else down with them, and I learned that at such a young age. I mean, they would say things like I would not finish high school, I’d be another teen mom like my mother, probably with three kids before 20, or I wouldn’t get a good job or have a successful life, but I proved them wrong.
Aren't they just lovely people?
The beauty of all that is the way they treated me when I was young was not my problem then, and it’s not my problem now. And the best part about proving them wrong was the fact that I got to grow up; I decided I wanted to do things differently with my life and not feed into their insecurities.
I did not give in to their negative expectations either.
I focused on my education, career, and personal growth, eventually finding stability, love, and building a family. I graduated from college, got the job that I wanted, and dedicated myself to being a full-time parent, teaching my child everything I can, while also learning from my son, my greatest teacher.
All in all, remember that you are capable of overcoming obstacles and achieving your dreams, regardless of the doubts or negativity others may cast upon you. Surround yourself with supportive and loving individuals who uplift and encourage you on your journey.
Remember to treat others with kindness and respect, as it is a testament to your character and inner strength.
Thank you 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪 𝓒 for your February prompt: Write about all the ways you’ve proved them wrong.
