PROVE THEM WRONG!!!

Everybody has an opinion....

About what they think is proper or improper; about who the best footballer on the planet is; about who the best actors or actresses in the world are; about what they consider is the best car in the world; or the best way to dress; or the best TV show on cable network; or the best colour or colour combinations; or the best features a husband or wife must have; or what a perfect gentleman or lady should look like; or what the perfect job or business must contain to make them worthwhile. The list, in truth, is awesomely endless.

And there's nothing you can do about people's opinion. 

But what do you do when people carry opinions about you that you know aren't at all correct, right or even true? Especially when they tend to affect your relationship with others, be they individuals, a group or even an organisation? 

In my own opinion (now I am laughing), you need to prove them wrong!!!!

By proving them wrong, I am not asking you to spill your blood so that they will see that you aren't what they profess you may be. You may need to spill some blood but that is only if there is a necessity for that. You must understand that everyone's position on any matter is simply a matter of perception, and their perceptions is what drives their reality. And for as long as their perceptions remain, so will their reality and so will their view concerning you. If it must change, you have to do something to change their perceptions.  You need to provide certain proofs that you're not what they say you are, that you're more than they think you're worth. 

Sometimes, even after you've delivered enough proofs to change such perceptions, some people will still deliberately refuse to change their views. But it really doesn't matter much because I've come to realise that the best way to answer critics is to simply improve yourself and deliver very well on an expectation.

If I say am good at something and someone else disagrees, what do I do? I simply deliver on what I say am good at. If I say I can cook and you disagree, all I need to do is deliver a very good meal cooked inside my own kitchen by me. If I say I can dance and you disagree, all I need to do is show you my moves. If I say I can administer an office or lead a people and you disagree, all I need to do is show my prowess administering the small office or leading the small group of people I may have the privilege of being in charge of. And for me, the proof of the pudding must be in the eating as I must do all of them very well to the point where there will no longer be any arguments.

So, learn and improve yourself.

This line of thought reminds me of my teenage years back in college. Being a football enthusiast and also one who believed in the little skills I had been blessed with, I so much wanted to play for the college football team. I dreamed of donning the team's jersey and never failed to always talk about it to everyone who cared to listen. I was sure I could be one of the stars of the junior team and eventually go on to also be a star of the senior team as well. However, one fateful day, a member of the football team whom I even thought was a friend, seriously castigated me and declared publicly that I could never make that team when all I could even offer was akin to nursery school football!

I was laughed at, teased and insulted and I lost hope. I stopped going for training and always hid away from the boys because I didn't want all that embarrassment they always gave me. And that was despite the fact that I knew I could play football.

It took another friend of mine to jolt me back into reality. He simply told me that it was their opinion and not the reality; but that it would be my reality if I let their opinion rule. He told me to just up my game and improve in the areas that I was deficient in. I had to take my time to rebuild my game. Weeks later I was back in training and still being teased. Months later I was actually in that team and even benched the very person who made those insulting comments about me! And guess what, he never got his place in the team back because a better player (me..that is) had shown up! 

If you won't believe my own story, then believe that of Juan Mata of Chelsea FC! He temporarily lost his place in the squad but kept his head, learned what he should, discovered what he needed to do or improve in his game and his coach recalled him to the squad. In fact, even his national team coach also recalled him back into the side for the World Cup qualifiers.

People will always say what they want about you, but the rest is up to you.

Do kindly pause and ponder a bit on this....