How to Keep Your Path Lit When Others Try to Dim it

Keeping your path lit is no easy task, especially when others try to bring you down. When faced with people who criticise, shame, or wilfully misunderstand or consciously underestimate you, it’s easy to take it personally, making you withdraw and feel smaller than you should. Understanding that there are reasons why some people choose to dim your light rather than support and encourage you is helpful. Once you accept that their behaviour is more about them than you, it can help you overcome your frustrations and shine bright.

Some people feel a need to compare their successes against everyone else’s. These people believe your success will reflect poorly on them, making them look less accomplished. This fear they are dealing with has very little to do with you, even though it feels so personal. Instead, it is a reflection of the way they see themselves. The best way to combat these situations is not to let what others think of you define you, and remember that everyone deals with anxieties and disappointments. Choosing how you react to people’s behaviour is an action you can control. So choose to stand up for yourself in a positive way.

Becoming more intentional in how you interact with people can help you face outside criticisms and negativity. When you act with integrity and confidence, you won’t be as affected by what other people think of you, and it won’t stop you from continuing the journey that is right for you.

Here are five ways to keep your path lit, even when others try to dim it:

Always be grateful and kind – Making a daily practice of showing gratitude for life’s big and small blessings helps keep your energy positive. When you feel positive, it gives you immunity against other peoples’ negativity and allows you to remain empathetic. Feeling attacked can easily make you want to defend yourself or strike back, but this only sinks you to their level. It takes strength, composure, and a belief in yourself to be able to be kind, even when it feels that others don’t deserve it.

Remain curious and non-judgemental – If you feel sensitive and unsure of yourself, it’s easy to interpret everything as a criticism. Sometimes, people may try to be helpful and challenge you, which can help you learn and grow. We all make mistakes, so remaining open-minded can help us take on what they say, without taking it too personally, and objectively determine if they are helping us. When you are confident, you won’t be afraid to hear other people’s thoughts.

Remember that everyone has a path to follow – When you realise that everyone is at different stages of their emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical growth, you can better consider where they are coming from. We all have unique experiences and interactions that change who we are. People tend to come into each other’s lives for a reason. Work out what you can learn from this person and try to reframe the experience in a useful light, even if the lesson is simply to know when it’s best to walk away.

Try your best to empower others – We all have the potential to become the best versions of ourselves, and it doesn’t require bringing other people down to feel better about ourselves. We all need a little help from others to be successful. Recognising when we can make a positive and encouraging impact on someone can empower them to do the same. There is more than enough success for everyone; lifting others does not diminish your light. It just magnifies your positive energy, making you glow brighter.

Finally, know when it’s time to move on – Choosing not to waste our time on situations and people who only make us feel bad about ourselves is a way of showing respect to yourself. You only have a limited time in this life, and it’s up to you to decide where your time is best spent. Associating with people who only try to bring you down is frustrating and makes it that much harder to move forward in the way you want. Letting go of people who do not serve you the way you need takes courage, but it will help you in the long run.

Recognising your skills and talents without outside validation can keep you strong and confident. It is often the times when we strive to be our best and confidently step into our truth that we invoke feelings of envy and comparison in others because they are still trying to find their path. Turning these tips into healthy habits allows you to face whatever life throws at you while keeping your path lit.