OH BOY! I done used an exclamation point in the title. Ya'll should already know, this is about to be one of those, I'm yelling at ya'll but I'm really yelling at myself type of post. So don't take it personally. ok? Ok. But if the shoes fits, marry the prince, you hear me?! lol OK OK, Hi hello, how ya'll doing? Are you good? Ok. We are on Day 27 of our 30 lessons in 30 years series. Today's lesson. I'm not going to say I'm still learning. This one. I got it. Yup. And I need you to get it too because not having this one has really done a number on some of you all. Our lesson is:
STOP CARING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE THINKS
Child, I don't know how many times the topic of freedom has come up in this series but add another tally mark to the count because HERE WE GO AGAIN! FREEDOM. That's it. That's the premise. Let's continue.
In order for this lesson to make sense and resonate with you, we have to dismiss our ego's. We HAVE TO release our pride. Alot of us seem to believe that we don't care what other people think. I know this because I hear a lot of people say "I don't care what anyone thinks". The truth is .... Yes you do. Can we just settle on that please? Ok thank you. Even if you don't care what EVERYONE thinks, there are certain groups of people that we care what they think. Maybe it's your family, maybe just your mom, maybe your church family, maybe your significant other. WE CARE. And that's not a bad thing. The problem lies in how we allow it to cripple, manipulate, and effect us.
Now when I say manipulate, I'm not talking about the malicious intent type (although some do maliciously manipulate), I'm talking about allowing the fact that you care what they think (or MIGHT think) to make you change what you're doing or who you are. You want to be nice to the kid being bullied, but the popular kids might think you're lame for that, so you decide not to befriend this person. You want to be an actor, but your pastor said the industry is full of demons and it's no place for a Christian, so you don't go hard for your dream. You want to shave your head, but your mom says your head is too big for that, so you don't do it. Caring what other people think can manipulate you into being and doing things you otherwise would not, and sometimes stops you from doing things you otherwise should. Don't you realize that you're allowing them to control you?
Here's the part that you may not like. You're the one giving them control. No one is taking it. People will only do what you allow them to do. People's opinions only matter if YOU give it power. It's actually your choice. I know you wanted it to be their fault like "they should stop controlling me", but no, you should stop allowing them to. And you are allowing them to by caring what they think.
Now I hesitated to share this lesson because without balance and discernment this one can go left real quick. This is not about "I can do what I want no matter what anyone thinks". Sometimes you should care because they are offering true wisdom, God is speaking to you through them, or what they think is actually for your benefit and they're trying to help you not make a big mistake. Sometimes you have to care. I just had to clarify that real quick. Use wisdom and discernment. BUT STOP BEING SO EASILY SWAYED BY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
Some of us live our lives following every trend. We get the sneakers so that we can fit in and everyone will THINK we're cool. We buy the thing so that we can flex and everyone will THINK we have money. We treat our friends like strangers in public so that others won't THINK you are like them, even though behind closed doors, you are more like them than the world knows. We don't share about our marital woes so that people will THINK we have a great marriage, even though you're on the brink of a divorce, but little do you know that telling your families may actually save your marriage. We are so busy worrying about what everyone might THINK that we don't take the time to stop and think... well, what do I really want to do here, and does it even matter what everyone else thinks? The answer... 85% of the time... is no. I believe that the most successful people in this world are those who had no more F's to give and just went for it.... no matter what anyone else thought.
So, here's my question to you. What have you stopped yourself from doing, posting, creating, wearing, saying, achieving, becoming... because you are worried about what someone/people may think? Take some time to really dig deep into this. Think about it for real. Take notes of the excuses you're already making up. Recognize that those excuses/"reasons" are just to cover up the truth that it's because of what "they" might think. Ok, if you've done some honest introspection, I will leave you with this question... Does it matter?
I love ya'll for reading, and I love ya'll for real!
- Woods
Lighting up the woods, one Syllable at a time
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