MYOB

Mind Your Own Business. These words carry an extremely nasty connotation. It is rude and unfriendly. It is asking uninvited nosey pokers to steer clear of you and keep their comments and opinions to themselves. Help is not wanted. Comments are not welcome.

Mind Your Own Business. It can also mean that you are cold and aloof. You are totally indifferent to things that are happening around you, even with things that you should be concerned about. You are unhelpful and unsympathetic. You care only about yourself.

One get criticise when you do not mind your own business. One also get criticised when you are minding your own business. But all these issues arise because there is someone who is not minding their own business, but minding whether your are minding your own business or not.

Mind your own business may sound indifferent and aloof. But it is probably one of the wisest phrase around. For most of the world's unhappiness start from people not minding their own business.

How often have we heard complaints about colleagues not doing their work, siblings not helping with household chores, teachers and religious leaders not behaving in a manner befitting of their status, the wealthy not extending their help when they are able to, the police not putting in their best to catch the thieves, the way the roads are designed and the list continues.

The negativity that was expounded in the discourse is tremendous and it will spiral upwards. The person who lodged the complaint is extremely unhappy with the state of affairs. The person at the brunt of the onslaught of complaints will be extremely anxious with the comments and opinions over his choice of action/ inaction. There is a likelihood that his choice of action may be influenced by public opinion rather than the most logical action.

MYOB is a golden phrase. If you focus on doing your role and your tasks well, there will be less complaints about you. If you are the best at what you do, people will come running to you even without you asking for it. So mind your own business today, and stop minding other people's business.