Internet haters getting you down? It happens to the best of us, even bloggers like Gabrielle Bernstein! Read on for her three steps on how to move past the negativity and make your social media space a more positive place.
Last Monday, I got a frantic call from my mother. She breathlessly told me: "There's someone on your Facebook fan page writing nasty things about you! But don't worry, honey, I responded and set her straight." I laughed and said, "Thanks for sticking up for me, Mom, but that's not how I handle negativity on the Internet." I went on to explain that, as a spiritual student and teacher, I must practice what I preach. By bringing my spiritual practice to these situations, I intuitively know how to handle haters on the Internet. I helped my mother understand that engaging in the negativity only invests in the negativity. Rather than defend myself and fight back, I've learned to see these encounters as divine spiritual assignments. Through compassion, defenselessness and forgiveness, I've come to see how mindfully dealing with Internet haters can only strengthen my spiritual faith.

As the universe would have it, that wouldn't be my only conversation about Internet haters that week. The following day I was in Chicago shooting a segment for Oprah's "Super Soul Sunday." What was one of Oprah's first questions to my panel? She asked how we handle haters on the Internet! I immediately responded, "Forgive and delete." I explained how I use forgiveness and several other spiritual principles to shine light on the darkness of the Internet.

If you're anything like my mother, it's time to put down the boxing gloves and use my three spiritual tools for handling haters online.

Step 1: It's Not About You
When people attack us on the Internet, many of us immediately assume that the attack has merit and means there's something wrong with us. I choose to have a different perspective—I like to have compassion for these folks. Let's face it: A happy person won't waste his time posting negativity on positive people's pages. Therefore, we must have a tremendous amount of compassion for these people. Anyone who wastes his time and energy spreading negativity clearly needs more light in his life. Begin your practice by saying a prayer for the person. Simply say: "I pray for you to release your negativity and see love instead. I pray for you to be happy." This prayer will immediately reconnect you to a sense of compassion and help you let go of your anger.
Published 07/21/2014