An Act of Deep Self-Respect
When you’re met with criticism or judgment, it can be deeply challenging not to take it personally. Words can carry energy, and when that energy feels heavy or cutting, it’s natural to want to defend yourself, explain, or internalise the sting. But it helps to remember that not every opinion or reaction deserves a place within you.
Not everything that comes your way is meant for you to hold. Some feedback can be useful—it can help you see blind spots, strengthen your character, or guide your personal growth. Constructive insight, even when uncomfortable, often comes from a place of care or truth. But other comments may be rooted in someone else’s pain, insecurity, or misunderstanding. When people speak from their own unhealed places, their words often reflect more about where they are than who you are.
In those moments, I like to visualise a soft, protective bubble surrounding me. It’s light and gentle, not a wall of resistance, but a boundary of awareness. Through this bubble, I allow in anything that feels aligned, supportive, or constructive—lessons that can help me grow. But anything that feels unkind, personal, or unnecessary simply bounces back, dissolving before it can touch me. This isn’t about ignoring others or pretending their words don’t matter; it’s about choosing what deserves space in your heart and what does not.
You always have that choice—the choice to absorb what serves you and release what doesn’t. Protecting your peace doesn’t mean closing yourself off from the world; it means staying open with discernment. It’s learning to listen without losing yourself. It’s giving yourself permission to stay soft, even in a world that can sometimes feel sharp.
When you honor that boundary, you begin to move through life with more calm and confidence. You trust your inner compass more than the noise around you. And over time, you’ll find that protecting your peace isn’t an act of self-defense—it’s an act of deep self-respect.
