5 Ways Gossip Is Destroying Your Life

Kindergarten 101: People make fun of your mess so no one looks at theirs.

People “talk” about you because they’re jealous.

It’s not you, it’s them.

It’s true, but it still ruins lives.

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Gossip rips relationships and reputations apart. I’ve watched it break hearts, and have picked up the pieces of my own. I chalked it up to high school, living in a small town and couldn’t wait to get away from it. I found that you never can.

Whether you’re five or one hundred and five, gossip hurts. And if you are the one dishing it out, it is hurting you too. Here are just 5 ways that gossip is destroying your life.

1. It Clouds Your Mind

You never gossip. But you can’t help but listen.

Our mind can only hold so much miscellaneous information and gossip, like nothing else, takes up space. We toss it back and forth in our mind, in our heart. We sift through it. We wonder and ponder. And whether we realize it or not, it affects our decisions, opinions of others, and how we view life.

Gossip is full of lies and makes truth hard to find. It acts like a blanket covering up what is real, authentic and important.

2. It Deceives You

It’s easy to focus on the flaws of others. It’s why reality shows are so popular. If we compare our lives to theirs, we have nothing to complain about. Talking about other people’s problems distracts us from our own. It doesn’t make them go away, it makes them linger. The longer they linger, the bigger they get.

There will always be someone who has it worse than you, and there will always be someone who has it better. We need to face the fact that this is irrelevant.

Do you want to live life to the fullest? Do you want to reach your highest potential? It will happen when you focus on your life.

3. It Ruins Your Reputation

The rule is “if you talk about others, they’ll talk about you.”

As a teenager, I rebelled against rules. I’d see how far I could bend and push them. I rarely saw the need or the truth in them, and was always looking for the exception.

This rule is 100% true. One hundred percent. It doesn’t matter how nice someone is, how many promises they make, how close you are, or how “they never gossip.” If they talk to you about other people, they’re talking about you too.

Don’t hang around these people and definitely don’t be one of these people.

4. It Creates Barriers

It’s your first day at work. You’ve only met two people, yet you feel like you know everyone. On a fast dash to the restroom, you saw Jane snub the tall girl. No words were spoken but Jane’s look said it all. The tall girl must be the one that you heard the frumpy man at the coffee station whispering about, and it goes on and on.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at work, the bank, a restaurant, or on a movie set. You can be in line at the grocery store, watching your son’s little league game, walking to the mail box, or sitting in the front row at church, you will always find people who want to gossip about anyone and everyone who doesn’t look, talk, act or think like them.

No matter how “normal” this may be, it isn’t okay. Be the one who stops it, walks away, changes the subject, confronts the one spreading gossip. Introduce yourself to the person they are gossiping about. Maybe you will meet a new friend , maybe not. You will definitely find something out about yourself.

You won’t win any popularity contest by taking this advice. Take it anyway. Be the bridge. Be the difference.

5. It Poisons Your Path

Call it Karma. Energy. Call it whatever you want, you reap what you sow.

With every decision we make, every word we say, we plant seeds. Our words, what we say about others, either build them up or tear them apart. And eventually, everything you do and say comes back to you.

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Last week, I wrote about automatic reoccurring dialogue. I suggested a few simple words that open the door to more meaningful conversations. This week, let’s challenge ourselves to take it a step further.

Every time you start to say something about someone that is not in the conversation, just don’t. Even if you have to sit in silence for a second.

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Article Author

Kirstin Leigh

Kirstin Leigh

A dynamic writer, speaker, screenwriter, and singer, Kirstin Leigh’s work speaks to every soul that is searching, every heart that has been broken, every dreamer who lost the fight… and every survivor who is ready to soar. Her breakout book, “Change Your Story,” is now available on Amazon.

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