Very often we are very concerned about what people think about us. We are often laden with this concern.
This is the reason why we very often abstain from doing many things. “What will you think?” “What will others think?” The truth is that others are not thinking about us as we imagine them to be. The reason for our concern and botheration is our own insecurity and egoistic thoughts.
Others may be thinking well of us, or they may not be thinking ill of us as we imagine. We arrive at certain conclusions based on our whims and fancies. We imagine that others think so about us. The truth is that they do not have enough time to think about their problems. Then how can they get time to think about us?
Otherwise, what if they think about us? Suppose they are thinking ill of good deeds I am doing. But I know what I am doing. They may think well of some of my actions and may praise me. But I know that my act does not deserve praise.
This being the fact, what is the relevance of others’ thoughts? It is not others’ thoughts that matter, but my thoughts.
If I understand my inner being and actions very well and define them well, I will not be bothered about what others think.
Because I know what I did. I have sometimes shrunk when I got praise which I did not deserve. I know very well that I have not done anything to be praised so much. I know that I have not been so sincere when I did something that was greatly praised.
So, I have not taken into my heart undeserved praises. For me, they are fingers pointed at me.
As we advance in age, we are pulled back by the thought: “What will others think?” During our younger age, we do not care about what others think. That is how young people become arrogant. At some point in our age, everyone is arrogant.
But once we are tied up into the confines of our circumstances, we will be curbed by these reconsiderations. We are more prone to please others and to prove that we are good. We will lose our daring mind which says: “I don’t care whatever you think.”
The challenge before us is to have a mindset, “I don’t care whatever others think about me; It is enough that my thoughts are good.” Our success rests on our decision to conquer our botheration on others’ thoughts about ourselves.
