Yet every once in a great while, I would get a teacher who couldn’t stand me – perhaps it was the remnant sugar rush from class after lunch hour. But she thought I was the biggest slacker, and she’d switch my seat around so I didn’t talk so much. Seemingly to fulfill her low expectations, I actually found myself being late to class, missing assignments and doing poorly on exams.

If it wasn’t for the next period, where I was back to being the head of the class, I may have talked myself into believing I was as stupid as she made me feel.

It seems this process transitions into “the real world” now – whether it’s in a job or a relationship, the more someone feeds you negative energy, the less you will trust in yourself to make the right decisions and build your confidence.

Sometimes distance from people who are consistently negative is the only way you can concentrate on pulling yourself back up to your true level of potential. Try to take a few seconds a day to actually be by yourself (no cell phone on the way home from work), take long breaths, listen to music and brush off the bad vibes from the day before. When faced with someone trying to squash your mood or diminish your self importance just remember that mean teacher from back in the day…show her who’s boss now.