I’m taking another closer look at one of my quote images in this article, and you might think it’s a load of nonsense…
There’s a good way to deal with other people’s nonsense – walk away!
Choose to do that.
Decide for yourself how much of that nonsense you want to deal with, and where the limit is.
Now, I can hear people yelling as they read this ‘OH IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE!’
That’s an understandable reaction, and you won’t be surprised to read that I have a reply!
Part of the reply is ‘yes I agree, it’s not *always* that simple,’ and part of the reply is ‘oh, but it *can* be!’
Let’s look a little deeper at what I mean…
In order to walk away from other people’s nonsense, we need to *recognise* that nonsense in the first place! In many cases, the nonsense doesn’t need any recognising – it’s right up close in our lives, and impacting us directly all the time.
That could be family, friends, work colleague, society in general.
That’s clear, but it’s only one kind of nonsense.
Another kind of nonsense, which I might describe as a more ‘sneaky‘ nonsense, is something that less clear, and we don’t know we are exposing ourselves to it. It’s a modern phenomenon, and it’s the internet, specifically the social media side.
Not everyone use social media, not everyone is even online at all, but if you’re reading this, then you *are* online, and quite possibly use social media.
My social media channel of choice is Facebook, but whichever one people prefer, we expose ourselves to all sorts of nonsense from other people.
People moaning about themselves, moaning about others.
Some of it we can simply smile at, but it’s surprising (and I found it surprising myself!) just how easy it is to get drawn in! Surprised at the temptation to hit a comment button and get involved, in nonsense that doesn’t impact me at all!
It may seem like harmless fun, but it’s damaging. Damaging because it is taking up time we could be using for more positive directions, and damaging because it’s exposing us unnecessarily to negativity, telling our brain that the negativity is the norm.
Guess how that effects the rest of our thoughts! (yep, negatively!)
It can also be self perpetuating, because once we get involved in social media nonsense, ‘last word syndrome‘ can kick in, and the time usage rises, as does the back and forth negativity.
The way to deal with it? You walk away ‘virtually’!
You can do this firstly by setting specific blocks of time to go on social media, which helps with the time wasting issue, and secondly by waiting 5 seconds before hitting the comment button, and asking yourself ‘Does this really impact me? Does it concern me? Does it move *me* forward by commenting?’ If the answer is no, then just carry on scrolling!
It might seem difficult at first, because you are changing a habit, but it won’t take long for you to see the benefit, and also to start to recognise when others are caught in that web of nonsense that you have left behind.
Now, when it comes to ‘real’ life, sometimes it can be as easy, sometimes it most certainly isn’t!
If someone is giving you nonsense, maybe in the way they talk to you, or maybe in the way they treat you, then can you walk away? Can you tell them that you won’t accept it any more, and then if it doesn’t change/stop, you follow through with it and walk away?
It can be really powerful and liberating to do it.
As I said though, it can also be really difficult. There may well be consequences, consequences that impact your future, or the future of others, maybe even violent consequences.
Help is out there for issues like this, professional help which is beyond the scope of this article, but it’s out there.
My point in this article is a key one though…
In order to make time and space for what we actually want our lives to look like, our joys, our passions, we need to get rid of distractions, and one massive distraction we must get rid of, is other people’s nonsense.
So, look to the nonsense in your own life. We all have it, I’m no different – look to the nonsense *you* put up with, choose how much of it you’re not going to put up with any longer, and then decide to start simply walking away!
Try it, you’ll be amazed. It can change your life, it can *transform* it!
Ok, do let me know what you think, I love the feedback!
‘Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you feel you’d like more on how to walk away from other people’s nonsense, then do grab my free 8 step goal achievement formula – it works!
