Let's Promote Self-Confidence

Good Sounding, Bad Idea: calling everyone a bully.

There's a video floating around the Internet where a news anchor responds to an email she received about being overweight. While she handles the situation with poise I find it lacks professionalism. One of the first things I learned while getting my journalism degree was: "Never make yourself the story."  And this, unfortunately is exactly what she did. In my personal opinion, while I found the subject of this viewer's email in poor taste and quite frankly none of his business I didn't see where it was "bullying" the recipient.

According to Webster's Dictionary a bully is: n. noisy, over-bearing person who tyrannizes the weak; v.t. to domineer; intimidate; ill-treat; v.i. to bluster.

Perhaps the news anchor is weak but I doubt this very much, and wish she'd have ignored this topic all together.

Again, in my personal opinion, I think the word bullying has become a national crutch. People seem to throw this word around when someone states an opinion that either makes them uncomfortable or one they simply don't like. I find the ability to freely share opinions the number one thing, on my long list of things, that makes our Nation great.

In another example: I found it incredibly ironic that the LGBT community began essentially bullying local Chick-fil-A patrons, workers and owners. Across various social media sites people were making the assumption that if you ate the chicken sandwiches, then you too must hate all gay people. However, if the owners of Chick-fil-A want to give to charities that don't support gay marriage, I see this as their business. If you don't like it, don't eat their chicken sandwiches that eventually make their way to these conservative groups. This is yet another wonderful thing about our country, we're not forced to do anything but pay taxes and die (nature not so much anything else on the last one). I do disagree with the company's recent regression. If you have an opinion, whatever it may be, stick with it. Don't waffle because it's not popular with others.

I recently had the pleasure of watching a Rock Center story titled True Grit. Take the nine minutes and 19 seconds to watch it, it's well worth your time and may provide you a different perspective on how to talk to, deal with and teach today's youth.

I love the aforementioned idea of teaching grit to children for several reasons. (1) I don't want to end up with a colleague who can't take criticism or one who thinks I'm bullying them because I tell them their ideas are horrible (2) If I ever have children, I don't want them to grow up in a world where they're afraid to stand up for what they believe (3) I hate the idea of getting a trophy for showing up. In the world there are winners and losers. The faster everyone realizes this the better off we'll all be. Not everyone can be great at everything all the time, so find what you're good at and do it, do it better than anyone else and earn your trophy. And, when you lose, do so gracefully. It will make you a better person and one people want to be around.

So, here's what I propose. Instead of teaching people not to be bullies, let's teach everyone how to love themselves for who they are and teach them about the power of self-confidence so that when, not if, they encounter a "bully" they'll know that no matter what this person says to them or about them, it does not change who they are, what they should think of themselves or their self-worth. Let's teach tolerance not only of what comes out of our own mouths but of what comes out of the mouths of others.