you have to be very direct and intentional about what you will accept and what you will not accept. standards can not be ambiguous, you have to let the world know where you stand and live according to your very own compass.
When I meditate, I usually picture myself laying in a stream where the water ends up being carried out into the ocean nearby. Whenever a thought/picture/memory pops up, it somehow materializes and flows into the ocean.
Learn the skill of delaying your response when faced with someone who is intentionally trying to provoke you. Refuse to let others dictate your mood. Take charge of your emotions. You decide when, how, and whether you want to to react. You control yourself, no one else does.
