“I often think about the different characters I play in everybody’s story.

I’m a villain in some.

A hero in others.

And none of it has anything to do with the person I am.

The lens that others view you through is colored by their upbringing, beliefs and individual experiences.

Some people see your bright personality as endearing and others see it as annoying.

Some people think you’re weak and emotional (or emotionally unbalanced) and others feel safe in your presence.

Some think you’re rude and selfish yet others respect the way you stand up for yourself.

Some people admire the way you take pride in the way you look and others view that as conceited.

And none of it has to do with who you really are.

So I’ve stopped trying to control the way others view me because I can’t. I have no power or authority over how others see me, so I might as well go about my business of living my most authentic and joyful life.”

Believe me, choosing and focusing on joy, remaining strong in the face of adversity and loving yourself is enough. That means staying “in my own lane” paying attention to ways I can grow and become a better me rather than looking at others through a colored, judgmental lens serves everyone best.

I give credit for this blog entry to the original author Courtney Durrell/Worthwild