I used to tell the students in my classes that once they step outside their house somebody is judging them. The thought of being judged is scarier to me than the actual judgments.
What I know is this: the number of times I get upset over what I think somebody has said is greater than the number of times that people are trying to upset me.
For example, this morning I was waiting in my car in the parking lot of the vet’s office in the designated Exit lane when another car missed the Entrance lane and tried to turn from the main highway into the lot through the Exit lane.
Of course, I couldn’t see any car coming because the other car was blocking my sight. So I didn’t drive out of the lot.
Eventually, the person in the waiting car started waving with two hands to get me out of the way and onto the main road safely.
I held my breath and turned. Unfortunately, I yelled at the person in the waiting car, “You’re turning in the wrong lane!”
And the person screamed back, “I don’t give a sh*t!”
A perfect statement! It wasn’t a criticism of me, just a statement about themselves! I was happy.