Naysayers, Haters and Saboteurs

Naysayers, Haters and Saboteurs (And Other Folks You Should Rid Yourself Of)

Did you ever notice that people who don’t want to do anything with their lives resent those who do?  It seems odd, but this usually comes from people we know very well – friends, family, spouses.  Sorry to say there is probably someone you know who is “hating on you” at this very moment.  Why can’t we learn to be happy at the success of those around us?  Why do we insist on trying to knock others down? Why do we want to bring them down to our level?  Most of all, why don’t we get motivated to do something extraordinary with our own lives?

Naysayers

You know the ones.  They shoot down every idea you come up with.  Their trademark phrases are things like, “It will never work” or “What makes you think you can do that?”  Earlier this year, I was laid off from work. I had no idea how long I would be jobless or if, in this economy, it would happen again.  I decided to take a couple hundred dollars and use it to start an online e-book business.  I purchased two years of webhosting and invested in some advertising.  My thinking was if I could get this thing going, I would have a somewhat steady stream of income…. Just in case.  Enter my spouse.  You’d think he’d say that this was a great idea – a good back up plan. Umm, not so much.  His words were, “So you actually think people are going to pay for this stuff?” 

I have a friend who is contemplating getting a new car; he’s always wanted a Mercedes.  Everyone he has mentioned it to has made remarks like, “Do you know how much you’re going to have to spend to maintain a Mercedes?”  He asked me, point blank, why they couldn’t just say, “That’s great, man! I hope you get it!  Those are nice cars!”

Haters

Haters are people who can’t stand to see others doing well.  They are everywhere, so it’s hard to side-step them at times.  You will find them on the job, in your social circles and even in your church.  There’s the co-worker who stopped speaking to you when you were promoted; the girlfriend (or so you thought) that talks about you behind your back since you bought that new car or house or have a great husband or boyfriend; the choir member who remarks that you are the choir director’s pet because you are asked to do the solo.  They don’t care that you work hard or that you’re actually a great singer or a really nice person who deserves for good things to happen.  They only care that it was you and not them that won the prize.  Typical phrases of the hater are “She thinks she’s better than us now” and “What makes HER so special?”  Why can’t people be happy for us when good things happen in our lives?