I Will Not Let Anyone Walk Through My Mind

I love quotes from Gandhi, such a wise man. This quote “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet”  is so descriptive and immediately lets the reader know what it’s about.  So the quote urges you to not allow what other people say impact you. Easier said than done, I know!

I remember when I was only 18 walking through town and this young guy who I didn’t know from Adam was passing me and he shouted something along the lines of “You might think you’re all that, but you’re fat! Well in those days I definitely wasn’t!

However, my acute self-consciousness and lack of self-esteem at that time swung into action and while before that incident I was happy and looking forward to a lovely night out with friends, suddenly I felt absolutely awful. That chance remark ruined my night. I felt miserable and self-conscious.  In those days I was too young to have the confidence and perspective to laugh!

I definitely let that unknown person walk through my mind with their dirty feet. Who knows what was going on with his life at the time? But what I’m sure of with the wisdom of hindsight, it had nothing to do with me at all.

How often do we take to heart something someone says and let it make us feel awful? It still happens to me, but I know enough that if others are not being kind, then that’s their problem, not mine. Hearing something unwanted is still hard, but now I can take some time to give it some well-needed perspective.

What about you? Do you let others affect your happiness? If so, there are definitely ways you can put things in perspective