Someone is Always Going to Disagree with You

I do a lot of how-to articles. And I share a lot of recipes. I give y’all tips on everything from cleaning products to food storage. But today’s post isn’t information that you can take and go implement. There are no physical steps to take or list of action items. Today I’m sharing something that I hope goes in to your head and heart and hopefully changes your attitude.

A while back I was having a conservation with one of my dear friends, Jessica, from Smartter Each Day. We were chatting about the idea of belief, and the hard reality that there is always going to be someone who disagrees with the things you do. This could apply to anything in life: from your faith, your health, your parenting, or even your marriage. No matter what you do and what choices you ultimately make in life, someone is always going to disagree with you.

And if you are someone like me who lives in the public eye more than the average person…that means that lots of people are going to disagree with you!

Maybe you have a great tip or idea, and when you share it with people, they tell you it’s weird or dumb. Maybe you share something you’re really excited about, either on social media or in person, and someone will try to poop on your excitement or squash your dreams. When you put your heart and ideas out there, some people will disagree. Always.

People will disagree with what I feed my children. They might disapprove of the makeup I chose. They might think I’m using the wrong laundry detergent or toothpaste. People will disagree with where you go to church or whether you use NIV or King James. Heaven forbid you crack open The Message “translation”! 😉 No matter who you are, where you live, or how old you are – you can’t live your life worrying about what other people think of your decisions!

When you decide that something is right for you and your family – be careful how much clout you give your critics.

I realize this is easier said than done. When you tell people what you’re doing, there will always be push-back. It doesn’t matter what you say you’re doing, people will always have an opinion. There will even be people who will send you studies on things that you are doing that are wrong. But we all understand that you can find a study or a test to support any opinion or belief you have, right?

But even if you are wrong – and trust me honey, sometimes we all will be! – don’t take criticism from people who haven’t earned the right and the spot in your life to be critical.

If you are excited about something in your life and someone shoots it down and speaks nasty about it, stop and think…who said that? Has this person even earned the right to be able to give you that type of feedback? Have they earned the right to have a say in your life? For the most part, people who are giving you a hard time haven’t earned a spot on that list!

Now, if my husband, Barry, or my mom, or someone else who I deeply trust, has input on how I do something, I’m going to listen! But if the average Joe or Jane out there on the internet has thoughts and opinions on my thoughts and opinions – I’m going to ignore them.  Social media and the internet in general makes conflict and confrontation too easy. Plus, the layer of anonymity when you’re typing on a keyboard instead of speaking face-to-face gives people the idea it is okay to be ugly. It does not!

What you choose to do for your home and family may not always be popular, or common.

Laundry, nail polish, essential oils, vaccines, schooling, paper planners – it doesn’t matter, people will have an opinion! It’s like the old adage…you can please some of the people some of the time, and maybe even all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Do your own research. Decide what is good for you and don’t worry if others disagree. M’kay?

How do you handle it when someone disagrees with something you do in your home?