ebonysport said:

People said bad things about Prince when he was alive they just didnt go into details because they knew better. But he handled it alone just like he did everything else. I can only imagine the stuff that man bore all by himself...kinda sad really. Look how big PP is and imagine him being there all alone alot...I know he probably enjoyed being alone at times, but not all the time

[Edited 7/1/16 18:41pm]

I left my family at a young age, spent a lot of time in group homes and foster homes, until I was emancipated at the age of 17. There were very few people in my family that I kept in touch with, only 2 really. But I would come across family members at various times throughout my life and at one point I found out there were all these very negative rumors going around about me. At first I was shocked and hurt, couldn't believe anyone would say anything like that about me. It really had an impact on me, but then one day, I realized that this said more about them (whoever started the rumors) than it did me. I knew the rumors were not the truth and I decided then and there that I would no longer let it effect me negatively. As I've come across family members later in life and they've mentioned a rumor, I'll calmly dispute it and then remind them, "I've not been in touch with anyone in the family in years, so how could anyone know what was going on in my life? It's just rumors and lies and I'm not even going to entertain it. You are free to believe whatever you want to believe, but I know the truth and if you want the truth, you'll ask me rather than listening to rumors. If you like the drama and want the lies, then nothing I say will sway you any way. The rumors says more about whoever started them than it does me." The rumors stopped spreading after I no longer let it effect me and those that truly cared about me, came to me for the truth.

benni said:

I left my family at a young age, spent a lot of time in group homes and foster homes, until I was emancipated at the age of 17. There were very few people in my family that I kept in touch with, only 2 really. But I would come across family members at various times throughout my life and at one point I found out there were all these very negative rumors going around about me. At first I was shocked and hurt, couldn't believe anyone would say anything like that about me. It really had an impact on me, but then one day, I realized that this said more about them (whoever started the rumors) than it did me. I knew the rumors were not the truth and I decided then and there that I would no longer let it effect me negatively. As I've come across family members later in life and they've mentioned a rumor, I'll calmly dispute it and then remind them, "I've not been in touch with anyone in the family in years, so how could anyone know what was going on in my life? It's just rumors and lies and I'm not even going to entertain it. You are free to believe whatever you want to believe, but I know the truth and if you want the truth, you'll ask me rather than listening to rumors. If you like the drama and want the lies, then nothing I say will sway you any way. The rumors says more about whoever started them than it does me." The rumors stopped spreading after I no longer let it effect me and those that truly cared about me, came to me for the truth.

Im sorry you went through all that growing up...I think we all had tough childhoods and thats what made us love Prince...he went through some things too. Stay strong though...people will talk til Jesus comes again...none of it really matters.

nursev said:

benni said:

I left my family at a young age, spent a lot of time in group homes and foster homes, until I was emancipated at the age of 17. There were very few people in my family that I kept in touch with, only 2 really. But I would come across family members at various times throughout my life and at one point I found out there were all these very negative rumors going around about me. At first I was shocked and hurt, couldn't believe anyone would say anything like that about me. It really had an impact on me, but then one day, I realized that this said more about them (whoever started the rumors) than it did me. I knew the rumors were not the truth and I decided then and there that I would no longer let it effect me negatively. As I've come across family members later in life and they've mentioned a rumor, I'll calmly dispute it and then remind them, "I've not been in touch with anyone in the family in years, so how could anyone know what was going on in my life? It's just rumors and lies and I'm not even going to entertain it. You are free to believe whatever you want to believe, but I know the truth and if you want the truth, you'll ask me rather than listening to rumors. If you like the drama and want the lies, then nothing I say will sway you any way. The rumors says more about whoever started them than it does me." The rumors stopped spreading after I no longer let it effect me and those that truly cared about me, came to me for the truth.

Im sorry you went through all that growing up...I think we all had tough childhoods and thats what made us love Prince...he went through some things too. Stay strong though...people will talk til Jesus comes again...none of it really matters.

Thanks nursey. I don't begrudge my childhood / youth any more. Those are the things that helped to shape the person I have become, and I like who I am now! I think one of the things that Prince taught me over the years is that if we always focus on what's wrong, we lose sight of what's right. I loved the song "Pop Life" and it became my inspiration for awhile until I got to a place that I could say, "Life, it ain't real funky, unless it's got that pop." Now, I dig the pop!

benni said:

nursev said:

Im sorry you went through all that growing up...I think we all had tough childhoods and thats what made us love Prince...he went through some things too. Stay strong though...people will talk til Jesus comes again...none of it really matters.

Thanks nursey. I don't begrudge my childhood / youth any more. Those are the things that helped to shape the person I have become, and I like who I am now! I think one of the things that Prince taught me over the years is that if we always focus on what's wrong, we lose sight of what's right. I loved the song "Pop Life" and it became my inspiration for awhile until I got to a place that I could say, "Life, it ain't real funky, unless it's got that pop." Now, I dig the pop!

No prob...yes it made me who I am too and Im a stronger person because of those experiences. Im glad you're digging the POP now

ebonysport said:

A few suggestions: Hold your head up high. If these people have abandoned you, and are actively badmouthing you, they are not your friends. If someone confronts you with a false rumor, calmly refute and dismiss it. If you put a lot of energy into denying these rumors to all and sundry, it will give the appearance that the rumors are true. Find new friends who lift you up. Life is short - don't spend it with people who drag you down. This will be hard, but it's necessary - examine your behavior. Have you said or done anything that contributed to the situation? Try to see yourself the way your friends do. Do you like what you see? Could you make some improvements? It could be that these people are all d-bags. But you owe it to yourself and your future friends to ask yourself these questions. If you find things that you need to change, do it. Prince was constantly working to improve himself. He focused on the joy in life. I'm sure his close friends were loyal in part because he demanded the same excellence of himself that he asked from them. Treat others how you want to be treated and all that.

Love that you brought this into the conversation. Tavis Smiley asked P about how he overcame those who would make fun of him in school. He said, "Well, the first thing I did was went in to self." That's INCREDIBLY hard to do, so I'm glad you mentioned it. I feel that's something that we should all do on a more consistent basis, just to do a check-in with ourselves and our journeys!

God was Prince's anchor, so I think he'd start and probably end there - all the while creating music, and surrounding himself with new experiences and people. I recall him saying that he was not one to look back, so I can't see him dwelling on negative situations or having a pity party.

I also read that when someone queried him about his favorite scripture on Twitter, he said Psalm 31:21 -

The Lord deserves praise, for He demostrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies (NET translation)

I know this is not about my opinion, however I have been through some challenging situations, and what works for me, is gratitude - even for my enemies. My enemies guarantee that I will learn something new about God's love for me, and that His presence is more than enough. We often rely too much on the 'created' in the form of other people, and not enough on our Creator. I think Prince knew well the power and necessity of maintaining this connection, particularly as he got older.

Much love to you.

I also read that when someone queried him about his favorite scripture on Twitter, he said Psalm 31:21 -

The Lord deserves praise, for He demostrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies (NET translation)

ebonysport said:

perfume said:

I also read that when someone queried him about his favorite scripture on Twitter, he said Psalm 31:21 -

The Lord deserves praise, for He demostrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies (NET translation)

I love this, thank you! Another side of self examination is, why did I seek friendship with these particular people? Prince sang often of the holes we are trying to fill - spiritual and otherwise, lolz. There were times in my life when I was very self-destructive, and I tended to seek out people who fed that. It's very easy, and common, to base our sense of self-worth on the opinions of other people. i try to keep a sense of self, of boundaries, and not just react and conform to the expectations of other people. I think this is particularly challenging for women, because we are socialized to please and get along. Not expressing myself very well, sorry. Need more coffee. This is a great thread though - thanks to you all for your insights!

You are doing just fine.

Great thread.

anangellooksdown said:

Yes, as in: "What Would Prince Do"? His spiritual messages, lyrics and evolvement. I know he protected himself pretty good. Not just from the potential aggressive fan, but by having people sign contracts saying they couldn't talk about him. He once said, "What if everybody around me split? Then I'd be left with only me, and I'd have to fend for me. That's why I have to protect me." On the other hand I KNOW he had a higher purpose and DEFINITELY evolved spiritually. And I know he sang of meeting your burden with happiness and talked about taking each step in "The Ladder". And I never heard him say anything bad about anyone, even when some of his exes made claims about him. He always had friends. True friends. So what would Prince do if everyone DID split, and people were badmouthing him publicly with lies? How would he have handled that? Would he just be trusting and deal with the hurt, or would he say something? Please help me understand this as I am having this done to me now, and look to him as an example. [Edited 7/1/16 12:50pm]

Sorry to hear of your difficulty.

Prince seems to have dealth with these occurances by assessing the threat level. He made aggressive moves to protect himself from threats to his livelihood and profession, but for lesser issues he favored channeling the type of drama people were instigating around him on a personal level into art rather than engage the drama in a negative way.

We have so many examples of that, such as I Hate U, Feel Good, Feel Better, Fury, Love...etc.

Through it all I think that his deep and abiding faith is what sustained him. He was relentlessly attacked even for that.

Somebody mentioned that a component of self examination is necessary as well and I think that is good advice to start with. Knowing how this came about is important.

Best wishes.

anangellooksdown said:

Yes, as in: "What Would Prince Do"? His spiritual messages, lyrics and evolvement. I know he protected himself pretty good. Not just from the potential aggressive fan, but by having people sign contracts saying they couldn't talk about him. He once said, "What if everybody around me split? Then I'd be left with only me, and I'd have to fend for me. That's why I have to protect me." On the other hand I KNOW he had a higher purpose and DEFINITELY evolved spiritually. And I know he sang of meeting your burden with happiness and talked about taking each step in "The Ladder". And I never heard him say anything bad about anyone, even when some of his exes made claims about him. He always had friends. True friends. So what would Prince do if everyone DID split, and people were badmouthing him publicly with lies? How would he have handled that? Would he just be trusting and deal with the hurt, or would he say something? Please help me understand this as I am having this done to me now, and look to him as an example. [Edited 7/1/16 12:50pm]

.

I certainly would not say Prince "evolved spiritually". He got ever so deeper involved in organised religion. That isn't spirituality. This was his biggest weakness to give in to persuasion and fear.

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