RENEW YOUR MIND

Imagine finding out that someone you've known for ages really didn't think highly of you. They've been walking around with a skewed perception of you; they've been waiting for the reveal of the real you to justify the assessment playing in their heads. Their view of you was solely based on how they've navigated life, and, much to their dismay, you were smacking down their narrative like Dikembe Mutombo. 
Your victories, no matter how few, were aggravating. Surely you didn't play fairly or honestly. Surely you had a leg up (or a skirt down). Your niceness was bothersome, because of course, no one could possibly be as nice as you are. Your kindness offended them because they've never encountered anyone who didn't want something from them. Your pleasant interactions with others of the opposite sex always seemed inappropriate to them because they've never had a strictly platonic relationship. Your service to them was always met with suspicion because they've lamented for years that no one has ever done anything for them, and you're exposing that untruth. Your refusal to cosign everything they said and did was viewed as disrespect, because they tended to surround themselves with brown nosers and "Yes" men.

The sooner some people correct themselves, the sooner they can relax. They can stop hating on, criticizing, and accusing everything that moves, and have genuine, joyful, stress-free lives and relationships.

When you adjust how you think; when you commit to honesty with yourself, you'll see others differently. Perhaps you pegged a few folk correctly. When it comes to others, you may find you have been irrational and grossly unfair. It may be painful to admit that it wasn't them at all. It was you. Renew your mind. Realize how many opportunities you've missed; how many good times you've forfeited because of stubbornness, prejudice, ignorance, or because you adhered to lies or nonsense--but don't get stuck there. Dust your thinking cap off and do better. Don't allow your own mindset, misinformation, ignorance, or past indiscretions to cause you to misjudge, discount, or be unnecessarily suspicious of others. Just because you did, felt, or said it doesn't mean everyone will do, feel or say the same.

Stop merely existing and get to living. You've wasted enough time swimming in the wrongness in your own head. Don't be the biggest source of stress in your own life.