Dealing with Negative People

Hello, lovelies.

I've been super busy which is why this post is reaching you at such a late hour.  Hey, it's still Wednesday, right?

Whenever I get super busy, I end up being super stressed.  Being super stressed makes me super cranky and irritable which makes me lash out on other people.  Sometimes it's actually lashing out on people I love, people I know will love me regardless of my crankiness, but they still don't deserve it.  Other times, I lash out inside of my own head at things that strangers are doing.  When I'm cranky, my anger and frustration and irritability know no bounds.  Patience is thrown out the window.

Today, as I was walking to class, this really well dressed man in an expensive suit pulled up beside me in a really fancy car.  Cranky, I found myself scoffing at him.  As he passed me on the street, he smiled at me.  He gave me a sincere smile while I scoffed at his excessive lifestyle.

This made me realize that anger isn't towards other people but the traits we see within them that we don't want to recognize within ourselves.

How do we break this hatred and approach people with lovingkindness?


1.  Breathe.  Calm yourself down.  Be mindful of this negative emotion arising within you.

2.  Recognize that that person is a human being and not the trait or actions you despise.

3.  Question what it is that you dislike.  For me, it was seeing this man's greed.

4. Recognize your own embodiment of that trait or action.  Sometimes, I'm not as grateful as I could be.  Sometimes, I don't practice compassion and generosity.  Sometimes, I worry that I do not have enough.  

5.  Use your hatred or anger to fuel change within yourself.  Be the person you want to see others become.