#185: Anna Goldstein: How to NOT Worry What Other People Think

Profit with Purpose by Anna Goldstein

Value Your Opinion More Than Anyone Else

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." So they then decided they'd both walk!Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.

The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you might as well... Kiss your “donkey" goodbye! And even this ending won’t please everyone.

When you start to blaze your own trail there will be people who will tell you why you can't or why you shouldn’t do something you want to do. Everyone has an opinion.

For example, maybe your group of peers drink alcohol socially and now you’ve decided you don’t want to drink alcohol. Your friends might try to convince you to continue drinking alcohol - they might ask you why you aren’t drinking and continue to offer you a drink - even though you have told them that you aren’t going to drink.

And when you are confident in yourself, you don’t let others sway you - but rather you stand rooted in how you want to move forward with your vision. There is no need to look for approval when you approve yourself.

Here are a 5 steps to manage other's opinions:

1. Don’t take things personally. What others say to you are a reflection of their beliefs.
2. Be selective about who you share your goals with.
3. Understand what others share with you is information - you decide what you do with information - if it resonates with you great, if not, let it go. Above all else, value your opinion more than others.
4. Don’t continue to explain or justify your view, just say thank you for sharing to end the conversation.
5. Carefully choose who you spend time with. Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn said, You become who you spend time with.

When you decide to live in accordance with your highest vision, it might make others uncomfortable. Trust yourself.