What they think

Happy Wednesday,

How are you all doing on this hot, yet amazingly beautiful Wednesday afternoon? Not sure where you are in the world today, but I’m in So. Cal and let me tell you, I think we are in for one heck of a hot summer. I think the pool and lake will be calling my name on the daily. Oh, don’t forget, we are half way through yet another week. Happy hump day. I’d love to hear what your plans are for the weekend, so shoot me a text or drop me a comment.

I wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who has signed up and subscribed to my blog. It tickles my heart. I just love logging onto my computer and seeing a new subscriber. I’m looking to hit 100 subscribers by my birthday, which is in August, so if you haven’t subscribed yet, I sure would appreciate if you would. Thank you everyone for helping me reach my goal.

Well, enough on that. Onto todays blog.

Today I wanted to talk about what others think of us. Isn’t it crazy how so much of the time we care more about what others think of us then we do of ourselves? Makes me wonder if this is why so many of us have low self-esteem? We give so much weight to what others say, do and think, we put ourselves super low on the totem pole or we don’t even hold a place on it.

I have spent so much of my life trying to please everyone that I lost myself in the process. When I left my marriage 8 years ago, I wasn’t even sure how to think for myself, not entirely anyway and not with whole lot of confidence if I did venture out of my comfort zone of allowing others to make my decisions.

When I think back to my life in a cult and how much power I gave to others, people who I really didn’t even know, there opinion seemed to matter more. How sad that I missed out on so many adventures due to fear of what others would think of me. Do you know that to this day I still fear having certain people to my home around the holidays. I’m finally living my best life. Yet there are times when I become triggered, I spin and find myself caring about everything and everyone else over my own well-being.

I love this statement by Mel Robbins, “If you wouldn’t trade your life with the person who is criticizing you, why on earth do you care what they think?”

When I read this statement, I was like, WOW!!! I wouldn’t trade lives with any of the ex cult members in which I still have contact with, which isn’t very many, so I have to ask myself, why am I caring what they think? Why do I feel uncomfortable about having the American Flag waving proudly in my home and outside my home?

I have a lot to work on. You know what though, I’m worth it. I’m worth the effort of letting go of giving others the power to think for me. I’m worth the effort of letting go of the fear I face on occasions when someone from my past stops by my home. If someone doesn’t like me celebrating holidays, birthdays, waving the American Flag proudly, then, I’m good. Easier said then done, but, don’t stop by if you don’t like how I live my life.

I’m a good person. I care so much about others and I still have trouble taking care of me and putting myself first from time to time. But it certainly is nice to know, it’s okay to take other’s opinions and ideas into account, but my opinions and ideas are important too.

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyways.”-Eleanor Roosevelt.

If I’m going to be criticized anyway, then why not live my best life and value myself and my opinions more then others? It’s worth trying out anyway. Who knows, I might just like being able to care more about what I think over what others think, especially when they will criticize me anyway.

And I think this is a good place to sum up today’s blog. Guys, like I keep saying, we are wonderfully and uniquely made. We matter and what we think matters. At the end of the day, if we are placing so much emphasis on what others are thinking and saying about us, we are failing ourselves miserably. People will criticize us. They will try to make their words more important than our own, but remember, they go home and forget all about us. We have to live with ourselves, so why not make our feelings, thoughts and ideas matter just a little more then theirs.

Thoughts? I’d love to get your feedback.

Until next time my dear friends, don’t forget, Love Life++ Hugs.