Dealing with negativity.

[Elliemare]

Please pray for me that I have the strength to be strong in the face of negativity and put-downs.

I do think I'm overly sensitive to it. I have a family member that is in the same line of work as I am. I sense some competitive attitude. I have a lot of varied interests and I am working on a lot of interesting projects these days, mostly involving my church.

When I speak of new inspiration or a renewed focus or future goal, I get a lot of pessimistic feedback from family. Frankly, I think its because most of them just don't set very lofty goals for themselves. They work, so that they can play. They have no concept of one's work being one's ministry, passion, and love.

They just don't understand. For example, I may become a pastoral counselor at my church's counseling center. My family doesn't know what that is nor understand it. They just retort "Your not a psychologist, what qualifies you to be a counselor?" etc etc.

I just feel sorry for them that they don't have much of a desire to do more in their own lives or want to give back?? I'm not judging them, I just don't understand them any more than they understand me.

I just need strength right now and the right attitude and its not easy right now.

 

[Life2Christ]

When I speak of new inspiration or a renewed focus or future goal, I get a lot of pessimistic feedback from family.

The way I see it, your family has a right to their own opinion becuase that is only what it is: an opinion. An opinion is not going to determine your life or mission. There are people outside of your family that are going to have worse opinions of you. Your life is between you and God and your family is not privy to that, in fact the more your will is aligned with God's will, your family will see that very clearly.

 

[Elliemare]

I guess I've very recently really found my true identity in Christ and this is all so new to me. I feel like a whole new person, but since this is so fresh, its easy for me to get sucked back in to old habits and attitudes.

I'm just praying, praying, praying for the strength to overcome and to stay strong in the relationship with God and in my new identity.

 

[JRSut1000]

It's hard not to allow what people say affect us, I struggle with that within my family. I say see if there's any weight in the feedback they give, but don't let the way it makes you feel determine what's right but rather what you KNOW is right. Does this make sense?

 

[webman1200]

People are terrible when it comes to them trying to shoot you down with criticism. The best thing to do is put on the Armor of God, and let it do the deflecting. In addition to God and the Bible, you need to be self-motivated. In my Introduction to Business college textbook, it talked about the characteristics that entrepreneurs should have, one of them is to believe in yourself, even when others don't.

It used Walt Disney as an example. When he proposed making (Cinderella I think?) into a full-length movie, everyone laughed at him. Well, look now at all the Disney movies there are!

 

[BFine]

At this time it's not possible to get the support, affirmation, encouragement
that you desire from your own family members.
Lift them up in prayer, it is so needed.
I would encourage you to seek out women who do support, encourage and give
you some affirmation.