Receiving negative feedback and being a target of malicious witness are two different things. Negative feedback is helpful, usually, if it is foregrounded in mutuality, trust, and respect. Malicious talk however is underserved and wrongful. Negative feedback needs to be received with a “pinch of salt”—it may or may not be true nor accurate; it takes discernment. But with malicious talk, you need to guard your spirit lest you are tempted to be dragged down into reacting with anger and malice yourself, which is playing right into the hands of the person trying to bring you down.
Something to chew on…
Bless those who curse you, trusting in the higher Creative order; this makes you immune to the attack of others and helps you to guard your creative assets, such as peace and joy, those enduring qualities that are true about you—whether or not you believe it—as a created being in the image of the Creator.
Or, if that’s difficult, you may want to first forgive those who may have wrongfully bad-mouthed you. This is as much for yourself as much as it is for them, to rid yourself of the chains of indebtedness to others. Forgiveness cancels your obligation to be in the control of others’ opinions and actions toward you. It frees up your creative soul.
How do you typically respond to malicious intent? Managing HR is everyone’s responsibility.
