Do you have your remote control?

 "Yes, of course, how else will we change the channels on television?” I am sure this will be your first reflex response over such an unusual question. But, trust my blog posts to be different as I am hinting at something else. It is not your television remote that listens to your commands and flips channels as per your desire (only if you are lucky enough to be the TV in-charge at home!) This remote control in question handles your emotions, feelings, responses and experiences. It takes charge of how you feel and respond over opinions. It determines your response to criticism.

  Human nature is known for its inclination towards opinions. Each one of us have some say over everything that goes around us. There is no harm in expressing our thoughts over things, but it is harmful to react in an inappropriate way. Just because your well-wishers refuse to appreciate your talent or your social circle criticizes your work with difficult words, it does not mean you drown in it forever and refuse to take control. The remote control to react to their opinions lies in our hands. Instead of drawing offense and mistrusting ourselves over bad fate, it is essential to act over it. You may disagree with their opinions, but there is no need to hold it close to yourself, while spoiling your next attempt.

   How people feel about you is not under your control. Whether they praise you with false words to misguide or taunt with hurtful words to demotivate, none of it will matter if you know how to react. It is their opinion that has nothing to do with you. It does not mean I am talking about building a wall around your ears. It is always essential to listen to people and their advice. But, how you choose to inculcate it in your life is totally your call. 

     Often, we are soaked in sorrow when people lace their words with anger, negativity, judgments or misunderstandings. At such times, it is important to realize that we are the receiver of their words. How we deal with their judgments is completely our decision as far as we know its impact. If we can analyze their motive, it is possible to transform their opinions into valuable pieces for our own good. Instead of crying over their mistreatment, we can use their judgement as improvement pointers for our benefit.

  Just as we use a remote control to mute, change, switch off or switch on as per our desire, we can tune our responses in the same way. We should be able to chalk our inner circle of influence. Switch on when our closed ones offer their valuable advice and switch off when people trouble us with their unhealthy motives. Not every piece of information directed towards us is going to benefit. Hence, we should know when to use them for our good.

  We often invest more energy in defending our choices, justifying our beliefs or proving our worth. But we fail to realize that as long as we do things for our own happiness, there is no need to please every life form on earth. No matter how good you work or what great acts you do, someone somewhere will always have a better way of doing it. This does not turn you into a failure or the other option into success, it simply means each one is entitled to their own opinion. Being in a defense mode unknowingly turns into a habit that refuses to leave our side. It diverts our efforts from productive work. If all your life you will defend, judge, analyze and respond to criticism, when are you going to act?

    This post was inspired by two sources. One is by the way people reacted over Snapchat CEO’s opinion based on nothing but his own two cents about our country. The credit of the second source goes to my husband for showing me an inspirational video over the said topic. It closely relates to me in various ways as I was always influenced by opinions. Without weighing their significance in my life, I would jump at the first opportunity to defend and prove my choices, only to realize that things may not be designed as per my way. But, the remote control to our reactions is definitely sitting on our couch, waiting to be surfed over and over again.

So, next time you are irritated, angry, hurt or disappointed, recognize the source of your negativity and change the channel immediately.

This remote works over several channels such as:

-          criticism

-          incorrect judgments

-          misunderstandings

-          accusations

-          incorrect allegations

-          false judgments

-          revenges

-          hurtful taunts

Make sure you use this remote control well to bring positivity and happiness into your lives. Do not lose this important control after all it features the channels of your dear life!