I am a pretty positive person.  How about you?  I often hear that, “Others cannot steal your happiness.”  To a certain extent, I believe that is true.  After all, we have to find true happiness from within.  We have to find what brings us joy and keep it close to our hearts.  For me, my family, writing, martial arts, teaching, and sharing positivity are some of the things that make me happy.  While I make my own joy, there are still external forces that work against me, even on my best of days.  I am sure you have felt the same, too.

Even as a happy person, in all honesty, negativity hits me like a ton of bricks, or maybe like baseball bat to the back of the head!  It happens when I least expect it.  One moment life is energetic and exciting, then the next someone says or does something that is rude, unkind, or demeaning for no reason.  I jokingly refer to these negative people as the “haters” because there is no value to what they do or say, and their only intent is to make you feel bad so they can feel superior.  Still,  even a positive person like me finds it difficult when it feels like the baseball bat they swing hits the intended target.

What is my advice about how to deal with this negativity?  I have only one response.  Cherish what you love.  Your family, your gifts, and your talents are all things the no one can take away from you.  You have unique qualities that no one else has, and that is awesome!  While negativity is undoubtedly depleting, believing in yourself helps heal the hurts and build your positive life once again.

It makes me happy when someone asks me about my martial art practice.  Martial arts have been a part of my life for 30 years.  My husband and two of my four children are also black belts.  We know what it means to persevere in martial arts and in in life.  The black belt spirit and martial art mindset pull us through when we are forced to face tough obstacles in life.  They help us remain fiercely determined to succeed.

Haters focus on everything that they don’t like, so the  rest of us must focus on what is important and positive.  The haters will try to catch you off guard, and you may let your guard down, but you must stop and remember that you are and always will be  amazingly unique and brave, and no one can ever take that away.

Be prepared.  Negativity strikes in one form or another, but you can defend.  Negativity does not deserve to win.  That baseball bat of negativity that was used against you has another purpose.  It is the same bat that you can use for the right purpose,  to score a home run. Friends, that is how you win the game.

xoxo

Andrea

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Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone – https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations-Everyone-Andrea-Harkins/dp/150297830X