Caring More About Yourself than How Others "See" You

Caring More About Yourself than How Others "See" You

Fact is, you just can't please all of the people all of the time. There are those that we get along with more than others. This doesn't mean that we have license to be nice to only some of the people we meet and to be rude to those we don't care for. Life is not a popularity contest. Making it to the top of the ladder means that certain critical decisions we make may not make everyone happy.

Successful people have to make tough choices. Leaders know that it's impossible to keep everyone happy and satisfied. We all live in a democratic society. Sometimes we have to do what's best for the majority, even if it means that the others won't like us for the decisions we make.

A "thick skin" is a prerequisite for success. If our conscience is clean and there's no doubt in our minds that we did the right thing, we have to continue on with life. Politicians and corporate leaders deal with this dilemma all the time. Consider the daily ordeal that these people have to endure and think about the great job they are doing.

The important thing is, they donot allow their success to be dependent on the approval of others.

The more we put off our decision, the harder it is to achieve anything in life. As much as we want to be respected and liked by everyone we meet, people are just built differently from each other. Everyone has their own belief system that they pattern their life after. Belief systems are based on culture and past experience. The world is just too vast a place to expect that all people think alike.

To be successful, we need to earn the respect of people and at the same time not become dependent on their approval. It's a matter of internal confidence to forge our belief system in spite of what other's think. This requires risk taking and tough decision making. It is having the courage to persevere. It's all about being self-assured, knowing that we have everyone's best interest at heart, and believing in our cause, which allows us to push through with our true calling despite what others think.

When it comes to being liked and respected, it is imperative to remember that some will approve of us while others won't, and as long as we remain true to our values, we know that we are living our life according to how we truly want it.

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