With age comes wisdom; at least that's what my mother always told me. It's a basic notion that as we mature, we learn more about life. As I get older, I've learned that there are certain ways to live your life that bring happiness and other ways that just bring stress. Life is about finding what makes you happy, and removing those things that make you upset.
Someone told me, "life is good if you know how to live it." It was that simple statement, that obvious truth, that changed the way I saw everything in my life. I suddenly realized that I don't have to hold myself to a certain standard of what people consider "the norm."
I don't need to live my life following ideal notions of what people want to see. I can break out of that and just be myself. It took a long time to figure out, but the secret to life really is not giving a damn. Because caring about what other people think will never bring you happiness.
How many of your thoughts are devoted to the opinion of others? That heavy burden that weighs down on you day in and day out, stems from the opinions of other people. Why is it that so much of our happiness is wrapped up in the opinions of others? One insult has the ability to send you to the deepest depths of misery and self-loathing.
“An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.” -Goi Nasu
The weight of others has become a burden. It inhibits you from living your life. Because your entire being, your personality, your thoughts, your actions are controlled by an idealized standard of what people want to see. When you become so obsessed with other people's opinion of you, you forget your own.
We wonder about a million things every day that we shouldn't have to think about. How am I perceived? What are they thinking about me? How does my life look to others? It's a constant array of worries and self doubt that torments us day in and day out. Now, imagine how free you'd be if you let go of all those thoughts. Imagine if you just stopped caring.
You can make a conscious effort to stop giving a damn; to let yourself free. It's a skill that needs to be practiced, like meditating. But once you truly understand how to let go, you will see the world as entirely different. Once you give up catering to other people, you will find out who you are, and that freedom will be like taking a breath for the first time.
The only thing that makes it a part of your life is that you keep thinking about it. - Unknown
You need to consciously remember that no one's opinion matters but your own. Because you are the hero of your own life, and only you matter. Everyone else is just an observer. People don't care about you, they just make judgments, and those judgments don't mean sh*t. So stop caring. Give up. Be yourself and let everyone else worry about that unnecessary bullsh*t. And if you still need reassurance, here's all the reasons you really need to stop caring about what other people think.
They Are Wrong
The truth is, people are idiots. You learn this as you go through life. There are a lot of stupid people out there, and a lot of people who will want to see you fail. It's human nature, and some people just have a meaner streak than others. I don't know why little kids tease each other, but it definitely proves that some kids are just assh*les by nature. You must remember that assh*les don't matter. Their opinions aren't worth a damn in this world and by caring what they think, you will only live your life in misery.
It Will Bring You Down
If all your happiness is wrapped up in the opinion of others, you will never be happy; it's that simple. If one small insult, one jab, one bad opinion of you sends you into a deep depression and a fit of self-loathing, you will live your life scared of every word. You can't live your life being vulnerable so that one thing can change the entire course of your happiness. It takes courage and will to stop caring what people think, but once you do, you will be a stronger person for it.
It Will Keep You From Your Dreams
If you are constantly worried about what other people think, you will never get to where you need to go in life. You are going to have to do things that don't always meet people's standards. You will come into situations where you have to put your pride, and your reputation on the line to get what you want. If you are constantly worried about what people are thinking, you will never have the will to do what's right.
You Will Keep Meeting The Wrong People
If you aren't acting like yourself, you will never meet anyone to appreciate you for who you are. You will also never meet people that you like, because they aren't really people that your true self would want to hang out with. If you act like a stuck up bitch, you are only going to meet stuck up bitches.
Opinions Aren't Truths
Opinions are like assh*les, everyone has one. Who gives anyone the authority to think his or her opinion is the right one? People say sh*t all the time, that doesn't mean any of it is ever valid. People have a tendency to talk when they don't know what to say, making them ignorant and usually incorrect. So next time someone says something about you, shrug it off because it's just empty words.
Life Is Too Short
You get one shot at this, so why the hell would you spend it worried about people's opinions? Do whatever the hell you want, be whoever the hell you want. You're never going to see these people after you're dead anyways. You probably won't even see them in a year from now. Live your life like it's just you, and you will finally be free.
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