Stop Treating People’s Opinions About You As Truth
Learn to live in your own truth
When I was a child, I was teased and bullied, and it shaped my perception of myself. I had low self-esteem, and I lacked confidence. These feelings didn’t only impact me in childhood but also in adulthood. I grew to care deeply about how people thought of me and feared being judged, picked on, or ridiculed.
I often think back to certain moments in life when I didn't raise my hand to ask that question because I didn't want people to think I wasn't smart. Or, I didn't wear that dress because I was worried people would think I was overdressed for the occasion. There are so many moments that have passed that I wish I could take back and remind myself that it's not my job to appease people. I'm not living to make others comfortable; I'm living for myself.
It's normal to care about what people think of you, but you also have to learn how to use discernment and have the wisdom to recognize when a person's opinion of you is irrelevant. If you spend your entire life worrying about others' opinions, you'll live a stressful life trying to keep up with their ever-changing ideals.
Growth means learning to disregard the truths people try to speak over you. It also looks like knowing whose opinion matters and who doesn’t.
The next time someone shares their opinion with you or you seek the opinion of another, consider these things first:
Why does this person's opinion matter to me? Why am I seeking their opinion in the first place?
What am I hoping to receive from others that I am unable to give myself?
How does this opinion align with my own values and goals?
Am I giving too much weight to this person's opinion compared to my own judgment?
How might this opinion affect my decisions and actions moving forward?
Again, it's okay to seek advice and wisdom from others, but sometimes, the only opinion you need is your opinion of yourself.
Tune into this week's episode of Mindful With Mina on managing social anxiety. If you enjoy this episode, please don’t forget to leave a rating and subscribe!
I completely agree with this article! I love that mentioned the importance of using discernment because many people have ill intentions. It's hard to deal with hateful words (especially when they come from those closest to us). but we have to remember that we're not defined by them. Knowing our own self-worth and capabilities is so important.
Also, great job with the questions for people to consider when they hear others' opinions!