LivingHigh,
I just went throught the book, How to Stay Cool Calm and Collected When the Pressure is on. A stress control plan for usiness People by John Newman Copyright 1992 ISBN 0-8144-7765-8
Since I thought of your post after going through it, I think this book might help you with your endeavours of dealing with people who try to pull you down. I think chapters 10, Choose to be Mentally Tough, Emotionally in Control, and Action Oriented. Chapter 11 Choose to Communicate in a Positive, Productive, Low Stress Manner and Chapter 12 Choose to Be Spiritually Strong, Resilient, and Joyful Every Day, might be particularly interesting to you.
Chapters 1 to 5 (part one and two) help you to figure out where you are at, what your values are and what is important to you. Empowering you to make choices.
Part 3 Chapters 6 - 13 give you pointers how to apply choice in various areas of your life, the 3 chapters mentioned as well as problem solving, thinking under pressure, being full of energy, being relaxed
Part 4 Taking Action chapters 14 - 15 consists of using choices and applying them in your life.
Alex
[This message has been edited by AlexK (edited October 15, 2002).]