I love this quote because it is so true. As I get older, I care less about what others think of me and more about what I think of myself. I know that I can't please everyone. I know that not everyone is going to like me. I used to work really hard to try to please others and have people like me, but I would compromise myself to do it. I am now aware that if I am true to myself and am the best version of myself that I can be, then the people that like me, like the REAL me, and not some version of myself that I twisted myself into in hopes they would like me. And the more comfortable I feel with myself, the less concerned I am about other people's opinions. I still care about all the people around me, but I can better separate myself from their opinions because I recognize that they are THEIR opinions and that's more about them than it is about me. If they like me, of course that makes me happy and I will like them back. If they don't like me, I can let that go and say, "that's okay." I can still like them for who they are and recognize that I don't have to own any negative feelings from them. That is so freeing!
What I find interesting is that the more I let go of others good opinions about me, the more I can connect with people. Maybe its because I am being honest and real and that is something that people can connect to. If I pretend to be who I think others want me to be, people can sense that isn't genuine and it hinders real connection.
And like Jock Falkson's astute quote states, "(T)hey haven't been thinking of us at all." In fact, THEY might be thinking about what you are thinking about them. :)
Today try letting go of the weight of other people's opinions and feel how much lighter you are. Do something today that will improve the opinion of the one person whose opinion really counts - your authentic self.
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