Winning Their Approval

22 Jul Winning Their Approval

I remember being made fun of during middle school for “flooding.” The “cool” girl who sat behind me reminded me daily that it wasn’t raining ?

(Thank you growth spurt).

I remember that also being a big turning point in my life where I suddenly became super self-conscious of what I wore and incredibly concerned with what everyone else thought of me.

And more so, concerned with doing what I could to be liked by them.

This negative mindset (trying to win others’ approval and care what they thought) carried itself with me throughout most of my young adulthood. And it was DRAINING.

You’ll never be enough (cool, fit, stylish, rich, etc…) for some people.

Let’s stop caring to try and be.

So why do I share all of this with you?

You’re investing your most important assets (time + energy) to impress people that you don’t really care about – or who don’t really care about you.

Instead you could be investing time & energy into helping others, teaching others, and making a difference.

Doing something that actually matters in the big picture. ?

So what changed?

I finally got to a “screw it” moment when I realized my mission here is to encourage others and help them #CompeteEveryDay. I started daily reminding myself that online/offline approval wasn’t what mattered – how I could help those people was.

1. Focus only on what you control – your effort, your attitude, & your actions. Not theirs. Blinders on.

2. Remind yourself every morning what’s most important.

Maybe #3 is to find a new circle. If you’re running ragged trying to buy things & do things to impress your “friends,” I’d challenge you to see if they’re actually friends. A real friend doesn’t need you to jump through hoops to win them over, they already love ya.

Listen, for me it wasn’t easy. I still have days where I catch myself focusing on the wrong things. But it’s a world of difference than it was.

What if we each became mission-driven & focused on what matters instead of distracted by the unimportant?

You don’t need “their” approval. You need your own.

You don’t need their permission to do the work that matters.

Just remember – it’s your life, not theirs. #Compete for it.