Haters.

I'm feeling good about my training. I'm feeling good about where I am and how I'm doing. I feel good about my body -- where it's at, and how much I'm about to put it through. 

Naturally, this has brought out some haters. 

Let's discuss haters. Haters are people who bring negativity to your positive party. They say mean things. Sometimes these comments are disguised with playful teasing, but they're mean nonetheless. 

I don't know why these people emerge, but they do. These people pop out with their negative comments and attitudes. Most of the time, they're unwarranted or uninvolved and yet they still throw in their two cents. These are not people adding constructive criticism or talking about themselves -- they are people who talk about you in order to drop you down a notch (or five). 

Case in point: I am working my @$$ off, quite literally. Today, someone gave me a compliment on how I looked. It was genuine and sweet and something that was very nice and made me really happy in that moment. But three seconds later, someone nearby retorted back with a negative comment about how things like these comments would go right to my head (because, yes, OBVIOUSLY I have an inflated self-image). Yes, I know I'm 28-years-old, but it still hurts my feelings when people say negative things, whether they're trying to be funny or not. It wasn't funny. It was mean. And it was unnecessary. 

I've tried to figure out why people say these mean things. Here is what I've come up with.

1. They are unhappy with their own lives.

2. They are jealous. 

3. They are mean-spirited people. 

4. They are so used to hearing negativity, they spout it out without realizing it. 

In this instance, I think it was number 4. And it makes me sad for this person. I know I'm not the queen of positivity, but I do try to encompass an optimistic attitude, especially when it comes to others. 

So, here are my positive words of the day. If you're training for something right now, tell yourself you can do it. You CAN do it. And you WILL do it. Keep your chin up and your nose to the grindstone. Regardless of what anyone else says, you can do this. There are enough negative voices out there working against you. Remember to be a positive one so you hear at least one a day. 

And if you're not training for something, you're pretty awesome too, damnit. Don't you forget it! 

Oh, and, what did I do when that hater said that to me? I just smiled. Because I know myself well enough to know that those comments won't go to my head. And I hope she had a fabulous day. :)