How To Stop Worrying About What Other People Think (& Be True To Yourself)
Let your inner light shine.
getty How can you stop worrying about what other people think? Are other peoples' expectations getting in the way of your ability to be true to yourself?
To find or create your image of a fulfilled and joyful life and be true to yourself, you must meet the challenge of looking for fulfillment with eyes of love. And the first place you have to cast your vision is on yourself.
Can you see the light that radiates from your eyes, face, being? Can you feel its beauty, its elegance? It is not wrong to see the radiance that you are. No!
But it is wrong to disavow it, because your radiance is the god force flowing within you.
To love yourself (your light) and be true to yourself requires discipline to take daily action toward that goal! So learn how to stop worrying about what other people think, and start shining your light. It could be as easy as smiling at people, giving a sincere compliment, or telling someone you appreciate him.
Everyone has a beautiful light within. By ignoring the chattering ego and choosing to stop worrying about what other people think, you can move toward that light and allow its radiance to guide you. It is a choice — listen to your god voice of love, or the ego voice of confusion, dissension, and fretfulness. Either way, you place your attention where you want it to be.
When you get focused and discover (and admit) that you are a dynamic, powerful being, you also realize that you have as much tremendous creative potential as Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Madame Curie, great songwriters, engineers, technology wizards, genius business people and all the other amazing folks that have shined their light.
Why have you not done this? What has gotten in the way? The answer is fear, guilt and small-mindedness.
Fear: What if I fail?
So, what if you do? The answer: Start over!
What if people don’t like my success? Then, let them not like it and get new friends. Or, what if I outgrow “my raising?” Then either your family adjusts to the new you or they don’t.
Either way, you keep moving. There are people ahead ready to celebrate you!
Guilt: What if I outgrow my friends and family?
Realize outgrowing means growing into your "god being." They can do the same whenever they want. Keep moving!
When I was in third grade, my twin sister and I were in a meeting with our mother and teacher. The adults were discussing the possibility of me skipping a grade. The teacher told my mom that I could easily skip the next grade and it would make school more interesting for me, but that it would not be a good idea because my sister, Jane, would feel bad about herself. Thus, it was decided that I would not skip the next grade.
As far as I was concerned, I didn’t care if I skipped the next grade or not. What did I know... fourth grade? Fifth grade? What did bother me was that they made the decision based on it troubling my sister. In other words, there was no consideration for what was best for me. The family dynamic was to “keep yourself small, so that your bigness won’t upset anyone.”
I found the whole scenario offensive and I was mad, but there was nothing I could do at the time. That is when I started dimming my light to compensate for others’ smallness, inadequacies, and bad feelings. (What was the point of me being my brilliance, if I couldn't exercise it?)
Why am I telling you this? Because in some way, you have done the same thing — made the same decision.
In order to get by or get along, you have dimmed your light, talent, genius, natural skills, etc., so that no one is upset.
Are you ready to turn up the volume on your light? Are you ready to blast your light out into the world like the brilliant sun it was meant to be and not care if people like it or not? Are you ready to become the dynamic self you were designed to be?
What are your talents, skills, and abilities? In what way have you toned them down? What is the step you need to take right now to ramp up to dynamism?
There is nothing you have ever done or been that needs to get in your way. The past is over; the future is not here. You have the present moment and that is all.
Be your incredible self in this moment.
What are you being urged to do? What creative impulse are you to follow? How can you beam your light brighter and spread the love that is within you in a greater way?
Find the passion you have inside. Focus on your greatest desire or goal and use each day to expand toward it — a time to discover your limits and be all that you are capable of being!
Jean Walters is a St. Louis-based Transformational Coach, Akashic record reader, teacher and author of Set Yourself Free: Live the Life You Were Meant to Live! And Be Outrageous: Do the Impossible – Others Have and You Can Too! who helps women looking to create powerful change in their lives connect with their inner voice. You can reach her at her website, SpiritualTransformation.com.