The most important opinion is the one from the mirror.
It is unfortunate how often we let other people’s opinion affect us. I would bet if you thought about it for just a few minutes, you could think of a handful of times in your life when you had an idea, or an intuition, or were ready to take initiative on something, and then you didn’t because of someone else’s opinion. Or even worse, the FEAR of someone else’s opinion.
I’d be willing to bet that if you were honest and reflective, many of those incidences led to a regret because you didn’t move forward. I can completely relate to this in a big way. I am a very sensitive person by nature. This is a pro and a con, as are all things basically. It helps me greatly when I am communicating with someone and trying to help them, and it hurts me when others don’t share my same belief. This has never changed for me. I wrestle with it every day. Since I have a big vision to help a million people, and because I am willing to put myself “out there” and pursue my vision despite the beliefs and opinions of others, it is a constant thing. This is okay for me. This is part of the price of pursuing something of merit.
AND THIS IS THE POINT!
If you are pursuing something, anything really that is of merit, other people are going to have an opinion about it. Let them. You don’t have to receive it. You don’t have to adopt it. You can just smile and agree to disagree. All progress has this attached. The even bigger and less visible issue is worrying about what someone will think about you as you pursue the thing in your heart. Again, if you are doing something of value, and you are making an effort to rise above and make a difference, you are flying in the face of the majority. It’s natural to think that someone will think “well who are you” or “what makes you think you can…”
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: People aren’t spending their time thinking about you. They might have an opinion they express at the moment, but they are too consumed with themselves and their lives to spend much time thinking about you. For those of you in my readership who are building a networking business, this is an important understanding. The worry about what others think is a component of the fear of rejection. It keeps people from sharing the gift of what they have with others, and eliminates all possibility that they can impact others positively. I did a video about a year ago on this very topic that shows my complete perspective. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly suggest you watch it…and not just once. Watch it as many times as you can until you get it! For those of you who are not building a business, I hope there was value in this post for you…and I bet you might find a nugget or tow in the video also.
If you get this post in an email, all you have to do to see the video is click on the title of the blog and it will take you to the video. Enjoy:-)
