We tend to care a great deal about what others will think of the work we produce, or what we choose to share with them.
Throughout my life, I've tried to understand this relationship. I've tried to tackle it logically.. "Just stop caring about what others think. Do the thing anyways. You have nothing to lose.."
As many times as I've tried to take that advice, for the most part, I've been stopped in my tracks. In fact, most of the time, it's prevented me from moving at all.
Why is this? You would think, it's pretty simple, right? Just go for it! Their opinion doesn't matter, what's important is that you follow your heart and share what you create!
Here's the main problem with that thinking. It's actually the reverse of what we need to be thinking about.
We're so concerned with what other people think, we forget to focus on how we want to make them feel.
We wrap our resources into the selfishness of caring about how others see us, and in the process, we lose sight of others and how they want to feel.
Selfishness blocks us from the very thing that makes us feel the most connected to other human beings. That genuine love and compassion that you provide is what attracts people to you.
In today's world of social media, it's easy to get consumed with living to create impressions, and achieve clicks and likes on what it is we choose to share.
While this provides a temporary hit of dopamine, which can feel really good, it's often short-term and fleeting. That sustained sense of well-being is achieved through creating impact, and truly connecting with others.
Here's another way to look at it, "less impressive, more expressive." Instead of focusing on if other people will be impressed or like what you're sharing, try sharing from a place of love and compassion. Really think about others, and focus on how it is they want to feel.
This can be a powerful shift when you start to change that paradigm, and it will lead to longer-lasting feelings of fulfillment and overall well-being.
Focus on serving others, and remember, givers gain.
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