#171851314 / gettyimages.com

Not Everybody Will Like You: Disapproving Faces

Not everybody we meet will like us and it is ok to move into acceptance rather than trying to make somebody like you.

It is not necessarily a pleasant experience, but there will be times in our lives when we come across people who do not like us. As we know, like attracts like, so usually when they don’t like us it is because they are not like us. Rather than taking it personally, we can let them be who they are, accepting that each of us is allowed to have different perspectives and opinions. When we give others that freedom, we claim it for ourselves as well, releasing ourselves from the need for their approval so we can devote our energy toward more rewarding pursuits.

While approval from others is a nice feeling, when we come to depend on it we may lose our way on our own path. There are those who will not like us no matter what we do, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with us. Each of us has our own filters built from our experiences over time. They may see in us something that is merely a projection of their understanding, but we have no control over the interpretations of others. The best we can do is to hope that the role we play in the script of their lives is helpful to them, and follow our own inner guidance with integrity.

As we reap the benefits of walking our perfect paths, we grow to appreciate the feeling of fully being ourselves. The need to have everyone like us will be replaced by the exhilaration of discovering that we are attracting like-minded individuals into our lives—people who like us because they understand and appreciate the truth of who we are. We free ourselves from trying to twist into shapes that will fit the spaces provided by others’ limited understanding and gain a new sense of freedom, allowing us to expand into becoming exactly who we’re meant to be. And in doing what we know to be right for us, we show others that they can do it too. Cocreating our lives with the universe and its energy of pure potential, we transcend limitations and empower ourselves to shine our unique light, fully and freely. ~ Madisyn Taylor, Daily Om

As my mother put it, I was a sensitive child. Much like others, I wanted to fit in and be liked. I didn’t want to be treated differently. For 1st and 2nd grade, I went to a predominantly “black” school, where I had loads of friends. Unfortunately, because of its distance from our home and a perfectly good school within walking distance, I began 3rd grade in a new school, where my sister and I were among a handful Black children.

I was shy, kind and eager for friends, so when I met someone, I viewed it s an opportunity to forge a friendship. Nevertheless, often, children distanced themselves from me and there were some who acted on their dislike for me. They picked on and taunted me, and it hurt to be left out and ostracized. As a child, I was not concerned with race relations, I simply looked at the relationships that others had and wanted to be a part of it. I thought that something was wrong with me. Although I eventually made some friends, it still bothered me.

As I grew older, and I hope wiser, I have many friendships. Nevertheless, on occasion, I still meet those who do not like me for reasons that escape me. Of course, I want to be well thought of, however, over the years, I’ve come to understand that their problem isn’t about me, it lays with them. The negative energy created by such people, have no place in my life. There is nothing that I can do to change their hearts, and I no longer care to do so. It is my true friends whose opinions matter to me and with whom, I wish to surround myself.

At this point in my life, I find that Martha Graham summed it up beautifully when she quipped, “What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.” Ultimately, the only thought that matters, is mine.