Many of us have been in situations where we have been judged by people due to gossip, rumors, and speculation. Misinformation commonly occurs during conversations; sometimes it happens innocently, and other times it occurs maliciously. Some of you may recall a popular childhood activity called the “telephone game.” For those of you who are not aware, the “telephone game” involves having a group of people sitting in either a circle or standing in a line and passing along a message. When I played this game, the teacher would whisper a phrase to the student at the end of the line or circle and then each of my classmates had to pass the phrase along. Once everyone heard the phrase, the teacher would ask the person at the end of the line or circle to state the phrase. Every time I played the game the statement at the end of the line or circle was different than the statement the teacher reported. Something happened along the line or circle which caused the message to change. The change was likely innocent but highlights what happens when people get second hand, third hand, or fourth-hand information. It is always good to have a discerning mindset and question things that you may hear about a person or situation.
In situations where the misinformation is malicious, meaning the information is intentionally twisted to divert the truth, the ramifications can be painful and difficult to overcome. Throughout life I have learned that people choose to believe what they want, and many people will choose to entertain drama, rumors, and gossip over seeking truth, facts, or directly speaking to the source. The person twisting the truth may be doing it for a variety of reasons, such as jealousy, a toxic personality style, or to deflect others from looking at their wrongdoings. For those of you who have been victims of rumors, gossip, and slander, I want you to stand firm, keep your faith, and know that the truth will prevail. I was intentional about using the words the truth as opposed to your truth because the latter phrase implies that your truth is based on your perception of the situation and not the actual truth. The phrase was coined by individuals with toxic personality traits, who are jealous, malicious, and intentionally deflect personal responsibility by twisting situations and events to their own advantage.
Victims of gossip, rumors, and slander often must stand alone, because others may not step up, they do not want to get involved, do not want to do the right thing, and may not care because the situation does not impact them. If you are defending yourself from rumors, gossip, and slander, have the courage and strength to stand alone in your journey of revealing the truth. I want to share one my favorite bible verses, from the book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 14 which mentions standing firm and donning the belt of truth. For me, this verse means to have faith that the truth will prevail. In the past when I was a victim of gossip and rumors, the truth always became known and the people who mattered stuck around and supported me. Each experience provided me with the opportunity to reevaluate the type of people I allow in my life. I believe that everyone who comes in your life comes in for a reason. Sometimes the reason is simply to teach you, other times the person is meant to enter your life on a long-term basis. The people who come into your life to teach you often bring pain, but with pain comes growth, maturity, and development. Know that those periods of pain can bring joy, so keep the faith, stand firm, and know that the truth will prevail. Have faith that better days are coming and consider reading the book Faith Still Moves Mountains which is available on Amazon at this link https://amzn.to/3hEbQSb.
Wishing you health and happiness
My Mind, My Body, My Journey™ 