As much as I've always been perceived as someone with supreme confidence, I do have moments of weakness where I worry about what other people think of me. At work, in the family, with friends - I'll get stuck in a what do they really think of me phase and what I have started to remind myself is:
"What other people think of me, is none of my business"
Let that sink in. We often talk about things that are nobody else's business but what about the things that are none of your business? For the most part, what other people think of you has a whole lot more to do with them than it does you. And regardless of who you are, chances are, someone has said something unkind about you. At work, in our personal lives - its human nature to have opinions about other people. Realistically, know those things aren't going to aid you in being a better you. So make them none of your business.
In the workplace, I am a force. I have incredibly high standards for myself and quite frankly, not everyone has the same standards for themselves. That makes me a target for people who can't or don't want to keep up.
On social media, I am vocal. I have strong opinions regarding social and political issues and I'm not afraid to stand up for those opinions. That makes me a target for people who love to argue.
In my personal life, I am a firecracker. I'm the loudest person in the group and I'm always talking. That makes me a target for people who aren't as spirited.
I'm not a blend into the world type of human. I've had a lot of people say a lot of really awful things about me in every facet of life. Sometimes I let it get to me, but more often than not I understand that when you're someone who reuses to fade into the crowd, a lot of people are going to try and bring you down. Let them. That's none of your business.
"Lions don't concern themselves with the opinions of sheep."
It's the most cliché quote in the whole book when it comes to gossip - but it's something I repeat to myself as often as possible. The real leaders, the dreamers that turn into doers, the best people - they're kind, they're focused, and they know that what other people say about them, is none of their damn business.