What's Your Reality?

Do you care about what others think of you? Most people I know would say they don't. If you think about it, most people do to a degree. I care about what other people think of me. When I enter a professional environment, I do not want to be the person who does not belong. When I hang out with a group of friends or acquaintances, I do not want to be the sad kitten who plays with the ball of yarn in the corner; the sad kitten in the corner implies that I am left out of the group.

For a long time, I cared deeply about what others thought about me. Sometimes, I would act or speak a certain way, solely for approval. If this seems bad, it gets deeper. Many times, I would behave a certain way because it was how I thought people perceived me. Instead of being who I was and staying to to form, I morphed into what I thought others wanted me to be.

As I've matured and have gained different perspectives, I realized that it is too much work to be who others want me to be. I was tired of giving into every desire and saying "yes" to just about everyone I knew. It's exhausting to do everything!

Since my revelation, I have focused on who I am. Instead of downplaying perceived weaknesses (e.g., pessimism, conspiracy theorist, etc.), I have recognized that these qualities are part of me. I don't want to change them nor do I plan to. Many people would say that my "negative" qualities make me a bad person. I say "Bah Humbug!" I wouldn't actually become Scrooge, but I would acknowledge that I am who I am and that's a-okay by me.

If you have a difficult time celebrating who you are, then refer to this quote:  "Never allow someone's opinion of you to become your reality." -Anonymous