Recently, I heard something about myself. I wouldn't call it a rumor, but it wasn't all true either. And it got me thinking, why do people choose to talk about people? I mean, the School of Social Media tells us it is because of jealousy or that it is because of hate. But is it though?
I remember the first time I gossiped about someone and contributed to a rumor. I didn't hate the person, I wasn't jealous of them, and I didn't want something which was theirs. I did it because it seemed like a funny story at the time. I think deep down, I always knew it was a rumor but it was so engaging and gripping, that I chose to believe it anyway. That was my choice.
See, that's the funny thing about choices. It feels so empowering and amazing to make someone else's, when in reality you're no more powerful than a 3 year old kid people pretend to be injured by when attacked.
Now imagine, someone making that choice for you. Telling your story or even worse, stories about you without you being involved. Feels terrible, right? I don't know about you, but I have this obsessive need for control in life. I need to know what is happening, when it is happening, why it is happening. Going with the flow is very unlike me, as fascinating as it sounds.
So when someone took away my power, my power to control the narrative to my life, my impulse was to lash out. But then, I paused for a brief moment (because meditating and yoga are AMAZING), and decided to sit back.
I let the rumor fly.
I thanked the ones who came up to me or stood up for me or attempted to shut it down, but I let it fly.
Because I realized something - making the choice to let go of my control over the narrative, that in itself was nothing but control.
