What Others Think

Most of us have the desired to be liked. Most of us look for validation in other people's opinions of us. It bothers most of us if someone doesn't like us. It bothers most of us if we think that someone else thinks we've made a mistake or that we are doing something wrong.

The truth is that we are never going to be liked by everyone. We are probably not going to be liked by everyone we seek to please. There will always be someone who doesn't think every decision, everything we do, is what they would do in the same situation.

That's okay. AND it's not really any of my business. I don't really need to be liked by everyone. It's okay for me to make unpopular decisions. It's okay for me to stand my ground on things that I feel strongly about. It's not really any of my business if the guy down the street thinks I mow too often, or not often enough. It's not really any of my business to know that someone thinks I'm too fat or  (haha) too skinny. It's not any of my business if someone else thinks they have all the answers to all the things that ail me. It's not any of my business if someone else thinks I should make my kids eat everything on their plates.

It doesn't even serve a purpose to know what everyone else thinks of me. I'm not taking a poll. It's not because I "just don't care what anyone thinks". It's not because I think I know everything. It's not even because I think I'm doing everything right. It's really because unless I'm actually going to do what everyone else thinks I should be doing or act how everyone thinks I should I act, then why do I need to know. All of the people in the world have a different opinion of the rights and wrongs of others so essentially by doing what someone else thinks is right, I'm going to set off a huge storm of other people who think I'm doing it wrong. Then what happens?

So where is the answer? It's none of my business what someone else thinks of me. I am going to do what I think is best. I'm going to be the size that I think is the best. I'm going to drive the car I think I should drive. I'm going to live and do what's best for God, my family, and myself. That's whose opinion really matters at the end of the day. That's who I will answer to at the end of the day.

This is what I work on teaching my children. By doing so, I hope they realize that they are great people just the way they are. They are a work in progress and are loved in spite, and because of, it all. I also hope this teaches them that just as it's not their business what other people think of them, it's not really anybody else's business to know what they think of them either.

I want them to do what's best for God, for their family, and for themselves. I want them to be kind. I want them to live in God's way.