Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Week 1:Gossip

If you don’t know what the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse is, I suggest you go check it out at Inner Mean Girl Reform School. Currently, I think the program is up to 7,000 women, all trying to rid themselves of that Inner Mean Girl that lives in her head….you know the shadow side of you, the evil twin, the dark night, the one I call Cassandra.

This week’s cleansing topic is about gossip, and how it hurts both the gossiper and gossipee. I have to say this challenge was not all the difficult for me. I managed to rid myself of gossiping several years ago while going through yoga teacher’s training. Where I learned that to reach an enlightened state it does not serve anyone, especially you, to think, say or act hurtfully towards anyone, I have always believed the energy you put out the the Universe comes back to you, and that to spend time in other people’s business or talking about them in a negative way just serves to take your focus off your own happiness, or unhappiness for that matter.

That is not to say, it was not difficult at the time, I was an awful gossiper until my mid-twenties. I daresay, working in the corporate world was even more toxic than high school..which is of course why I eventually left. I really don’t have the time or energy for talking about other people, and I have very little patience for drama. Which to me is the key to ridding yourself of gossip.

I made a conscious choice to surround myself with people whom I love and would do anything for. I got rid of energy vampires, gossips, and mean spirited people. Let me say it again I HAVE NO TIME OR PATIENCE FOR IT! My support structure may be smaller than it was at the time, but the quality of friendship offers so many rewards.

This is not to say gossip never comes up in my life, but it is rare. When it does I respectfully excuse myself from the conversation, or I attempt to turn it into a loving conversation about the person in question.

Of course, there is a shadow side to me in that I am brutally honest. The biggest reason I have no need for gossip is that if something is bothering me about someone, I will confront them privately and have no fears of a conflict, mostly because my words come from love…although there may be a healthy dose of snark and humor mixed in. It’s not always appreciated, and I have no doubt that I may become the gossipee. But make no mistake, my friends know I can be intense and they know my faults because I am the first to warn them when I am ready to unleash.

How do you deal with gossip, are you guilty, or like me do you protect yourself from it at all costs? Do you stop yourself and become aware when you are doing it, and shift the focus? I would like to hear your stories.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Inner Mean Girl 40-day Cleanse as a Self-Love Ambassador. To thank me for my participation, I will receive a self-love gift from the founders of the Inner Mean Girl Reform School.

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