A THOUGHT FROM ME
“The fear of being judged has a way of making you judge yourself before anybody else gets the chance.”
DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
You may find yourself thinking carefully about what you say, how you come across or what other people might think of you. A simple comment, decision, social situation or conversation can stay with you far longer than you’d like, as your mind replays it from different angles.
The frustrating part is that much of the judgement you’re worried about may never happen. Yet the possibility of criticism, rejection or embarrassment can still influence what you do, what you say and sometimes even who you allow yourself to be.
WHAT MAY REALLY BE HAPPENING
Some people spend so much time worrying about what others might think that they rarely stop to ask what they think themselves.
Over time, it’s possible to become so focused on how you’re being seen that you slowly lose connection with your own perspective. Decisions become filtered through imagined opinions. Actions become measured against possible reactions. Instead of experiencing life directly, you’re constantly viewing yourself from the outside looking in.
This is often where self-consciousness, anxiety, overthinking and a lack of confidence begin to grow. The problem is not always other people’s judgement. The problem is that their imagined judgement starts carrying more weight than your own thoughts, values and instincts.
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Most people are thinking far less about you than you imagine.
They’re usually busy thinking about themselves, their own worries, their own insecurities and how they’re coming across. The spotlight that feels so intense in your mind is often much smaller in reality.
The freedom comes when you stop trying to manage every possible opinion and start paying more attention to whether you’re acting in a way that feels right to you.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
If other people’s opinions no longer carried so much weight, what would you stop holding back from doing?
