We all sense the pull. The pull to be like everyone else. To adopt the herd mentality.

But when you try to separate, you stick out like a nail and the nail gets hammered back in via social pressure

People try to live the life they want, but inevitably the fear of what others think about them will kill their dreams.

So how do you stop this?

How do you GENUINELY stop letting what others think about you dictate your life?

And not put up the false front where you say you don’t really care what others think of you, but deep down inside still in some way shape or form, let what others think of you influence you?

The first thing to realize is what people think of you IS MORE OF A REFLECTION ON THEIR PART THAN ON YOU.

It’s a reflection of how THEY view life.

The path you choose in life is NEUTRAL.

It is PERCEIVED through different lens by yourself and other people.

Therefore, there is nothing you can do on your part to control what others think about you. You can’t change the “lens” of the people around you. They have formed their own lens over years of conditioning.

If you can’t change their lens, why bother trying to control it?

Let it go.

Again, what others think about you reflects more on THEM than you.

There are a variety of viewpoints on life.

Let’s say you choose Path A of life. Other people who have lens A will support you, encourage you. Other people who have lens that are type B or C or D or E or F or G or H or I or J or K or L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z,B1,B2,B3,B4,B5,B6, will have a spectrum of viewpoints on your life based on the lens they have on their eyes.

Some may view your negatively, some may have no opinion, some may understand and accept, some won’t even care at all.

Yet, we don’t realize this. We want a “blanket” lens that covers everyone around us. We want the idea that if I do XYZ, I’ll be loved and looked favorably by all around me. The truth is, no matter how hard we try to look favorably in the eyes of everyone you know, you can’t. It’s impossible.

You can’t be all things to all people.

So one might realize this and think:

“If I can’t be favorable in the eyes of all, I will see what viewpoint of life the majority of people have. Then I will adopt that viewpoint and live it so as to be looked upon favorably by the majority of people.”

So they pursue the popular life path and it might work.

That is, at least in the beginning.

As time passes by, they will feel the knot growing in their stomach. They realize they are handcuffed and the longer they spend their lives living the life of the herd, they find themselves sinking deeper in it until it is damn near impossible to leave it, because they don’t want to look bad in front of the eyes of their entire social network they built over the years that revolved around their life.

Their very desire to look good in front of everybody is the very handcuff that will cinch their hands together tighter and tighter until they are helpless to do anything about it. And as time goes by, it will be harder and harder to keep up the charade, to put on the mask and the cracks will start to show and will soon reveal their true motives – that they did not choose this life on their own free will, but simply chose it because it was the popular one.

Realize this:

No matter what viewpoint in life a person has, people RESPECT those who after some SERIOUS thought, made a decision of their own volition as to how they want to live their life, can clearly back up WHY they want that life, AND LIVE IT.

FULLY.

And not half ass it.

But nobody can respect the person who doesn’t take a stand, who has no foundation, who cannot think for themselves, and mindlessly joins the herd, robbing himself/herself of the full potential of their life.

Take a stand in life.

Back it up.

Stick to it.

Live it.

FULLY.

You can’t please everyone. What others think of you is their problem, not yours. It’s their viewpoint of life. How they view you will depend on their own “lens”. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change it.

Instead, find others who share similar viewpoints, similar “lens” as yourself and there, you will find the social acceptance you were craving before.

It’s those people who will help and support you to live your life to the fullest, and who will destroy the handcuffs on you that tie so many.