How to Not Care What People Think of You
I spent so much of my life consumed by others' opinions about me. I worried so much about things that were non-existent. I was consumed by my thoughts and I pretended to be someone else. I would say what people wanted to hear and avoid being my true self. I feared rejection. All of this changed when I realized that these were just my thoughts and assumptions. No one was really thinking about me.
Now I constantly remind myself:
“Stop trying to be liked by everybody, you don’t even like everybody”
Why do we care?
It’s not worth your energy to constantly try to please others. While this is easier said than done, work on accepting that not everyone will celebrate your success. Consider why you let these individuals control how you feel and how their opinions of you don’t let you feel good about yourself.
Who Cares?
Remind yourself that no one cares. The unusual thing about feeling bad about ourselves because of what others think is that others actually have fewer opinions about us.
We overestimate how much people think about us and our failures.
Next time you feel self-conscious, notice that you are thinking about yourself. You can assume that everyone around you is doing the same thing.
What can YOU do?
Sadly, you cannot control what other people think. Once you accept this fact, you can focus more on things that are in your power to change. Build a vision of who you are and who you want to become. Accept all the versions of you and how valuable they are. If any imposes on your vision it should be because they can help you get there.
Focus on this…
If you diminish caring about the opinion of other people, you might find yourself achieving new levels of success and joy. Consider doing the following:
Fear of judgment may hold you back, therefore focus on finding your authentic self.
Identify your personal values and acknowledge positive relationships that boost your self-esteem.
Remember you hold the key to your own freedom, don’t get stuck in the cycle of shame and judgment.
