Do you ever feel like you do nothing right? Are you always unhappy? Are you tired of trying to please everybody?
The solution is simple.
Stop seeking approval.
Unfortunately, our society places a great emphasis on gaining the approval of our peers. And you know what? The majority of society cannot stand their day-to-day lives.
We get so caught up in being liked. We make sure that our parents and our boss are happy. We always try to do “the right thing.”
But at the end of the day we remain empty, our passions smothered by the judgments of our peers.
We have become hypnotized to believe that our happiness is dependent upon how we are viewed. We sacrifice our dreams so we can have more money and more friends.
But why?
I would be lying if I said my friends and family’s opinions did not influence me. But many take the pursuit of approval way to far making it the center of their lives. Instead of pursuing their dreams they deem their passions to “risky” and never even try.
When I began blogging seriously, I met a lot of resistance from my friends. Some said it was dumb, pointless, and a waste of time. They made fun of me behind my back. But I knew that blogging was congruent with my life’s mission: sharing value with others.
So what did I do?
I kept blogging.
There will always be the naysayers, those who say you can’t do this or can’t do that, and if you listen to them they will be right.
We must learn to take full responsibility for the quality of our lives. Is something missing in your life? Only you know what that is. Go find it. Don’t worry about what people think of you. The truth is, people are way more worried about themselves than they are you.
So often we let our imaginations run wild with ridiculous scenarios that never happen.We envision all the things that could go wrong instead of realizing how rich our lives will become once we begin following our dreams.
Whats so bad about following your passions? What’s so bad about failing?
The answer:
Absolutely nothing.
If your ambitious and fail at least you tried. The risk is well worth the reward.
The only person’s approval you should be seeking is your own.
One of the greatest things I have ever done is stopped seeking the approval of others. I no longer consider what other people will think when I make my decisions. Instead, I ask myself “is this congruent with my mission” if it is I do it.
I still make mistakes. I’m not perfect. But at least I do what I think is right, rather than what my friends or family think is proper.
We must learn to not care about what people think and instead listen to what our heart is telling us. We must learn to take risks. We must learn to find the courage that lies deep inside of us. We must learn to live.
Is that all you have to give?
Spread your wings
try to live.
Indulge your self in endless sky
take a leap and begin to fly
It’s in you
I know it
Find some courage
And show it.
The world needs you.
Related posts:
- Is That All You Have To Give? Is that all you have to give? Spread your wings...
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with you. We are always worrying what people think of us and stuff…
very well done =)
BRAVO!
“The only person’s approval you should be seeking is your own.”
Yes! The day people stop worrying about what others think, the day that stop trying to please others, the day the fail to seek validation from outside themselves, is the day they will become free. What an incredible feeling!
I can certainly relate to this post. When I first read your entry I thought, “why would you want to find misery?”
I don’t think it’s a good idea not to listen and weigh advice offered to us by our peers. You should have a fairly good relationship with those people whose opinions count. You should never believe something without knowing its true source. Some people are always risk adverse and never take chances, while others don’t know when to quit.
I realized the only way I was going to accomplish anything is to ignore the negative people and naysayers. I have gotten so much farther w/o their negative impact.
I love your WordPress(?) theme by the way!
I approve of this message.
This is always a difficult balance to achieve, as someone else’s opinion may contain bits of wisdom, yet we don’t want to be bound by their idea of who we should be.
The key is to listen and ponder, yet not “own” what others think. In that way we are open to other points of view, but not a prisoner to another’s way of of thinking.
Fantastic advise speaking as someone who has smashed his life to pieces following the death of my wife and tried to reconstruct with the idea of what everyone expects.
This is the truest and most important perspective to hold in your mind!
Trust your intuition and hold fast I didn’t ,and regret the suffering it brought to me and my daughter. Trying to live up to your imagined expectations of other people is disastrous!
Grab the moment follow your dreams noone can do it for you.
I love this post. Worry about making yourself happy and not others. Dreams are too big to push aside out for the approval of others. Thanks!
Great article Bud. You are too young, as far as when compared with me, but you write and think so well.