For years I have constantly been worried about how others perceive me. Was I kind enough? Did I seem smart enough? Would he like me more if I did this or that? Does my hair look bad? 24/7 I would nitpick everything about myself just to fit someone else’s idea of who I should be.
But then one day, I just stopped. Stopped caring about what I look like every minute of the day and what others thought of me. Personally, I believe this is because I had a major life altering event happen to me recently and ever since then I started checking out. I realized that what I think matters actually doesn’t matter at all. All this time I’ve been worried about other people and what they think about me, and I’m done. Here is the mindset I got into to stop caring about what other people think of me.
- YOU KNOW YOURSELF MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE.
You have lived in your body, experienced your experiences, and had to go through everything you’ve been through. Nobody else has gone through life the way you have, and you have to remember that. Nothing anyone can say or do should make you feel anything. Their words mean nothing when they don’t know you or what you’ve gone through. As Taylor Swift once said, “You are not the opinion of somebody who doesn’t know you.”
- DEVELOP THAT IDGAF MINDSET
Life is full of mistakes and embarrassing moments. Make sure to not weigh heavy on those moments because at the end of the day, when you are older and have had even more embarrassing moments and mistakes, it won’t matter one bit. When you lose a parent or someone most important to you, you aren’t going to remember whatever those moments were. You are going to remember the fun and loving times. So, develop the IDGAF mentality. Have fun but be safe. Be bold but be kind. Work hard but rest. What matters is what is going to make you happy, not others happy.
- YOU ARE ALIVE.
This one is probably the most important one. Just think about this. God or the universe, whatever you believe in, thought that you needed to be on this earth at this exact moment. Not 100 years ago and not 100 years from now. You were put on this planet for a reason. You’re going to meet the people you were destined to meet and do the jobs you were destined to do. Try to focus on all of the good that can come from your life and your life only. You are here for a reason, and it isn’t to worry about other people and what they’ll say. Focus on you and only you and be grateful while doing it.
Generally, all of these “tips” seem self-explanatory. But I hope that there is one person out there that can take this advice and use it to their advantage. Become mysterious but open. Become lovable but know your worth. Protect your peace and stop caring about what other people think. Because in the long run, they don’t care about you.