Don't Give Away Your Power
Knowing Yourself
We all appreciate the encouragement of others. It feels good when people send positive attention our way. While getting recognition is certainly an experience to be enjoyed, it is unwise to cater to the expectations of others.
No one in the world knows you better than yourself. Only you can decide what success looks like for you.
Other People’s Opinions
When is the last time you became overly concerned about what someone else thinks of you? You may have started to anticipate their feedback even before they shared what they think.
Whether you are consumed by things that haven’t actually happened, or you are responding to feedback you have actually received, getting wrapped up in other people’s opinions can consume a lot of energy.
None of Your Business
It’s rare these days that I get caught up in these types of thoughts. But if I do, I remember what Jack Canfield said, “What others think about you is none of your business.”
Other people are driven by their own dreams and measures of success. But their dreams and measures of success simply are not yours. Listening to them can create so much noise you cannot hear your own dreams.
But when we let go of what others might think, we are free to grow and become everything we are meant to be.
Five Steps to Freedom
Throughout our lives we’re conditioned to look to others for affirmation. When we’re young, this is an important part of learning. But the older we get, the more essential it is to reach for our own uniqueness and seize the freedom that is ours.
Consider these five powerful thoughts. You can think of them as steps towards the freedom to become fully yourself:
- Everyone has their own opinion and that’s okay.
- What others think about you is none of your business.
- You can’t please everyone, so don’t even try.
- Do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what others think.
- Live your life the way you want to, not the way others tell you to.
Don’t Give Away Your Power
The world is filled with stories of people who dared to go against the opinions of others. Look into any success story and you’re likely to find those moments. A key quality in successful people is the ability to self-actualize.
But what does that mean? A person is self-actualized when they begin to achieve their full potential. And they do that through creativity, independence, spontaneity, and clear action.
Achieving Your Full Potential
Once you stop paying too much attention to others, you can commit fully to yourself. Achieving your full potential is the journey of a lifetime. It begins with accepting who you are and listening to yourself. What makes you happy? How would you like to live?
“You don’t find happiness, you make happiness. You choose happiness. Self-actualization is a process of discovering who you are, who you want to be and paving the way to happiness by doing what brings the most meaning and contentment to your life over the long run.” – David Leonhardt (journalist)
Call to Action
It is completely up to each one of us to bring our passions, ideas, and dreams into fruition, regardless of anyone else’s opinion or doubts. Success is an individual endeavor. At the end of the day our vision is ours alone – and only we can make it happen.
Try to focus on making decisions that bring out the best in yourself. And that validation you have been looking for from others? Give it to yourself.
Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam
