Let It Fly Over Your Head

Sarah Watson is a young woman who contracted HIV eleven years ago at the age of seventeen. She and her boyfriend discovered that they were both HIV positive.

Sarah did not think HIV would happen to her and for six years viewed it as her death sentence.

She felt lethargic and tired and had several other unpleasant and demoralising symptoms.

However, she found out that treatment and a positive attitude can improve things. She began to set goals and achieve them.

By her birthday in December 2004, she was 28 years old and had discovered a mission to help others by telling of her own experience. In a television interview recently, she looked relaxed, cheerful and attractive.

She was asked if the stigma of HIV was as bad now as it was eleven years ago in 1993. She said many people support her but some people gossip.

Instead of letting the gossip depress her, she "lets it fly over her head." Her calmness in the face of gossip makes sense.

When being criticised unfairly by others or even ourselves, we should let the criticism fly over our heads and fill our heads instead with positive thoughts about ourselves and our potential.

One such positive thought for those without a serious illness might be to thank God or the universe for their good health or even for having an illness which can be cured completely.

We should all be grateful that we are healthy enough to set and achieve goals.

We become what we think about most and need to spend much of our time thinking about our goals and the best ways to achieve them. Unfair criticism that distracts us from these thoughts can sabotage our best efforts and destroy our focus.

Criticism or poor treatment by others can be very depressing especially when it is demonstrably unfair. Many people, including myself, waste hours mulling over the criticism or shabby treatment, thinking angry and resentful thoughts.

This is a complete waste of time and injures no one except the person who has been criticized. Resentful thoughts can destroy our motivation and our momentum.

It can even us stop us completely in our tracks and cause us to give up or resign from whatever we are doing.

Recently, someone calling themselves 'Shawnee' has hijacked one of my email addresses to send out spam to people all over the world in both English and German.

This is shabby treatment to say the least. Why would anyone want to get someone else blamed for sending out their spam? Send out spam, if you want to, but at least have the decency to use your own email address!

As you can imagine, I was ready to track down 'Shawnee' wherever he lived and throw his computer and, possibly, Shawnee himself out of the window. However, such thoughts are a useless distraction.

Even if I found out where Shawnee lived, it would not be worth my time and effort to track him down and then get thrown into prison for my pains.

Far better to let it all 'blow over' as my web designer advised and get on with my own plans. In fact, it does now seem to have blown over. Maybe he has realized that I am getting close to his IP address and ready to report him for his internet offences.

I remember getting annoyed when I was a young boy because I did not receive the crusty corner of the Yorkshire pudding that I preferred. My grandad had given it to someone else!

I felt that I had been unfairly treated and angrily announced to every one that I would eat a spoonful of mustard instead.

My astonished family looked on as I swallowed a spoonful of mustard. No one suffered except me!

When we are criticized or feel unfairly done by, we can either eat a spoonful of mustard or let the incident fly over our heads and get on with achieving our goals.

I now know which I prefer!

John Watson is an internet info publisher and martial arts instructor. He has received several awards for teaching religious education to teenagers and for instructing all ages in the martial arts.

He has a degree in English and blackbelts in several martial arts. He has played drums in pop bands and the bagpipes in a pipe band and achieved several other goals.

He has recently written two books about achieving your aims. These can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/awesome_ac ronyms.php

---

The Secret Motivation Strategy That Never Fails

No matter how much you want to make your dreams... Read More

Create Your Destiny - How Massive Action Can Determine Your Destiny!

We often hear that "Knowledge is Power". Is it really... Read More

Its Only Too Late If You Dont Start Living Now

Remember when summer seemed to last forever? My mother use... Read More

Violating Boundaries: Assert Yourself and Take Charge

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a... Read More

Forward Motion

The natural cycle of life is to grow and move... Read More

Your Most Important Opportunity says a top UK Personal Development Coach

For some people this article will turn out to be... Read More

Mr. Smith, Please Enter the Dream Room - Dream Big Dreams to Do Big Things!

Enjoy a great quote to start off this fantastic week!"All... Read More

Day Dream Believer

I am sure you, just like the rest of us,... Read More

Regret or Passion? Which Will Be Yours?

I once attended a retreat on how to live with... Read More

A Simple Motivation Technique For Massive Success

Want to hear about a simple & effective motivation technique?... Read More

Bold Action: Living in the Moment

Reality show audition...I did it!What an experience, a day and... Read More

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - Before Its Too Late

Think about what you're doing each day and ask yourself... Read More

What You Can Do About Procrastination

Goals stalled? Always running behind? Stuck in a rut?Procrastination means... Read More

How to Exude More Confidence

Confidence: The word conjures up images of self-assurance and... Read More

Motivation By Your Family And Cornermen

The motivation for good or bad which we get from... Read More

Its Never Too Late To Start

Many people never start anything because they think the bus... Read More

You Can!

"There are only two ways of bringing brightness into your... Read More

Grit or Grace?

The grit of life is hard to swallow. You make... Read More

Activity Versus Accomplishment

Each and every day, all of us continually search for... Read More

Practical Ways To Motivate Yourself To Learn A Skill

One way to motivate yourself to work hard at anything... Read More

Motivation: The Power of Action, Part 2

The Three D's of Action are Decide, Do and Distinguish.... Read More

Persistence

Persistence will carve you as a leader in your industry.... Read More

How To Become More Patient

"Lord give me patience ? and hurry!"Have you ever prayed... Read More

Self Confidence: How To Build Your Confidence In Three Simple Steps

To Feel Confident ? A C TA new, more exciting... Read More

How to Get Rid of Inaction Paralysis!

How many times have you come up with a brilliant... Read More

Self-care Isnt Being Selfish

When was the last time you truly relaxed? Do you... Read More

Rut Busting

IntroductionWordNet defines a rut as a groove or furrow (especially... Read More

Success Secrets - Achieving Ultimate Success

I hope you're having an AWESOME week!Let me first say... Read More

Decide

Where do you want to be in a year? In... Read More

The Simple Secret To Lasting Motivation

This is a key to lasting motivation and beating procrastination.If... Read More

The IDEAL Problem Solver

The IDEAL Problem Solver is an effective tool you can... Read More

Back to Boot Camp

You know, whenever you are going to make a major... Read More

How to Get Motivated and Have Industrial Strength Self-Motivation

It is not your fault if popular self-help courses have... Read More