Have you ever had the feeling that there's one person who just doesn't like you for some reason? Where you get that feeling that this other person seems to act as if you're not in their league, or that you have nothing to contribute to the conversation, or that they wish you had never been born?

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I know one person who seems to do that to me. Whenever I'm in the room, he seems to try to make sure we don't make eye contact. I belong to two organizations with this same person, yet, whenever he's mentioning to people in one group about the other group and naming names, my name never comes up. Whenever I've had a reason to talk to him he'll look at me initially, then look everywhere except at me during the rest of the conversation.

I could be sensitive about this, but it doesn't happen with anyone else. The very first time we talked years ago, which was over the phone, he said to me "I see us as competition, and I don't think it's in my best interest to help you out." What a blow that was! I don't view anyone as competition, just as someone else who provides some of the same services I provide. The world is big enough for all of us.

So, how would you handle something like this? Would you get mad and upset? Would it inspire you to do better things? Would you stop trying to talk to this person? Would you tell everyone you knew about this person?

What have I done? Well, I haven't gone out of my way to find reasons to talk to him, but I don't avoid him either. I have found ways in one of our joined organizations to stand out in the crowd, garnering lots of positive attention from the other members, so he can't totally ignore me He even had to compliment me and ask me questions on a topic that I presented to this group, one that he possibly reluctantly had to own up to a lack of knowledge in, so that he could learn something he needed to know.

In other words, I analyzed it for what it was, and I moved on. One thing we all have to learn is that our success or well being doesn't depend on one person's approval, no matter what it is. If that person is prominent, so what; you just do your thing, and if you're lucky, you'll gain your own prominence. If you're in business for yourself, or you have a job and report to someone else, as long as you're doing your best and achieving things along the way, you don't have to take a step back for anyone, and you will be recognized eventually, even if begrudgingly.

And imagine the big smile you'll have on your face!