Notes by La'Rue

For years, I’ve fought to get to the place in my life where I’m not easily impacted by others’ negative thoughts and opinions of me. For most of my childhood and early adulthood, I placed too much stock into how I was perceived by society instead of how I saw myself. When I was met with hate, dislike, or harshness, I played it off and acted as if none of it bothered me, when deep down it did. Not only did it bother me, but it also hurt me, a lot. In looking back, I think it hurt me more than I really know. When I went to therapy, I knew that was one of the most important things I had to work on, especially as it pertained to my mental health and career goal. When I’m not working in higher education or writing, I occasionally take part in public speaking. We all know the minute you put yourself out there, you become a target and subjected to society’s (unsolicited) opinions.

During my 14-month sessions, I learned some very valuable tools that has helped me to handle things (and people) I never thought I’d be able to. There have been moments I’ve been in heated arguments or situations that threatened to erase my progress, but I didn’t allow it. I didn’t allow it to set me back either, because therapy has done a lot to propel me forward. Those people and things were dangerous and a detriment to me, and if I would’ve given in, it probably would’ve been the end of me. I often hear stories of people who’ve escaped bad situations or relationships hesitate to go back, because the person who lost them wants closure or to reel them in again, knowingly all along they haven’t changed, they just want to finish destroying them. Don’t be one of those people.

If you’ve made it to a point in your life where you’re not easily affected by negative chatter or how one perceives you, I applaud your strength. It can be hard tuning out the noise but once you chose not to listen, it gets a little easier (and better) over time. I’ve invested a lot of money (therapy) in my mental health, and it was very instrumental in my progress. While I often get upset that I paid someone to help me in an area that I struggled in (especially one that most deems to be trivial), I’m happy that I did. Although I’ll never be able to erase the negativity spewed out, I won’t allow it to erase my progress.

La’Rue