How Much Do We Value The Opinions of Others?

We all know what it felt like when we sought to please our peers growing up. We cared so much about what they thought that we defied authoritative figures, put ourselves in harm's way, and often times made choices that we knew we would regret soon after. And all in the hopes of gaining acceptance from a group of kids who couldn't make their own sandwiches. Rare is the case where you found that one kid who was unwilling to yield to the pressures of the adolescent child. That kid was either ostracized or reverenced. As I grow older, it is to my amazement that I'm still able to witness the same school yard mindset that I was subjected to when I was a pre-teen. I question the provocation of the adult who seeks to manipulate the mind of another adult as well the person who allows such a thing to transpire.

"When I was child, I spoke as child, I understood as a child, I thought as child: but when I became a man I put away childish things" 1 Corinthians 3:11. It's to be understood how, we can in our childlike nature, seek the approval of our constituents when we're growing into ourselves because experience hasn't yet taught us, with a hard hand, that majority of the people that we seek to impress, don't really have our best interest involved. But what's to say of those who in adult life, haven't learned to be who they are in spite of what others may think? At some point I believe that we all come into the knowledge of who we really are. I mean who we truly are when no one else is around. And sometimes we either feel like we aren't good enough or we accept ourselves but yet choose to keep our true identity hidden. Why? We're afraid. We're afraid that we're going to lose some of the people we call friends. We're afraid that the person that we're planning to marry won't want to marry us any longer. We're afraid that we will no longer be the cool kid. Well that's okay. Your life doesn't become a joyous life until it's surrounded by people who really love and care about you for who you are. Once you realize that, the anxiety that accompanies trying to please others soon evaporates.

So if you're currently finding yourself needing the constant approval of others, do yourself a favor and STOP! Quoted from the movie, The Maid, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important." I know it sounds silly, but saying something nice to yourself only reminds you of how awesome you really are. 


Davina