Up until this point in my life, I didn't think much about how people can be two-faced, in other words, how people can be fake. I am extremely grateful that I now realize this because it has opened my eyes to a variety of things. Many times, people will try and tear you down with their words but that is something that you have to fight against. This is something that I have had to fight against. It is a beautiful thing when you can say that you rose above all of the negative accusations. The inevitable fact of life is that haters are going to hate.

From the start of the second semester, my senior year  of high school has been extremely eventful. From getting suspended, to breaking up with my girlfriend, to losing my job have all part in the way I currently view life. Most would view all of these happenings as negatives, but I  don't entirely see them as that. Although the things that happened haven't been the ideal, I have gained so much knowledge from these circumstances. For instance, when my girlfriend and I broke up, I was really hoping that everything would be dandy and there would be no hostility or anything creating hate between us. Apparently that is not the way it was meant to be because that is absolutely all it consisted of. Along with that, my reputation was  botched by rumors spread by people, which some of my peers believed. I was in the dorm with my friend when I said to him, “Dude, it sucks having something like this mess up my reputation.” He then responded, “Your reputation was already destroyed, man.”

“Was it though?”
“Definitely.”
“Really? Since when?”
“Ever since you broke up with your girlfriend.”

My friend and I realized that no matter what decision I made, people were going to complain. This is when I discovered that I have very few “real” friends.. The people who ended up not being on my side didn't deserve the time that I gave them before. The people I thought I could count on were no longer on my list of “friends” and quickly making their way onto the list of people that I wasn't going to waste my time with.

Another instance where I realized that haters will hate is when I got suspended for being involved with contraband in the dorm. This was a mistake on my part because I knew it was wrong but I still took part in it. After the whole incident, it was obvious what people I could truly count on and who I would not waste my time with. Suddenly, I was viewed as a delinquent who was inferior to everybody. I realized then that everybody makes mistakes……. until they make a mistake. This is where I had to make a big decision. I could either listen to those people and submit to their idea of being inferior, or I could rise above this and continue to be the person that I know I am. As much as I worried about my reputation, it was being destroyed and I could do absolutely nothing about it. I could tell people the truth, but they had already deemed me an outcast.

I made a conscious decision to disregard all of the people who spoke negative things. There is this idea of constructive criticism, which I am totally a fan of. I believe that this is an effective way to help others make improvements in regards to their actions. I love constructive criticism. I hate negative criticism. All the negativity does is tear a person down.

  Later on in life, all of these opinions of my fellow classmates will not matter. They don't necessarily matter now, but we definitely give them a lot of attention. More attention than they deserve. It is our duty to not let these negative influences shape us into a person we don't want to be. We must overcome these negative influences so that positivity radiates through us to those around us. If we know that we are doing what is right in the eyes of God and what agrees with our morals, it no longer matters what the haters say or think. They want you to feel inferior because then that makes them feel like they are a better person. In the experiences that I have had, I have had to try so hard to make sure I don't shape into the mold that others are making for me. You can't take these people out of the world, but you can take these people out of your life. Surround yourself with the people that will uplift you. People that brighten up your life. They're out there. You just have to find them.