If you knew how infrequently people think about you, you wouldn't care what they think of you.

A good portion of my work revolves around judgement from others. That isn't good or bad, it just is. The more people "like" what I have to say, the more likely they are to read my Daily Truth, listen to EML Radio, be a guest on my podcast, trust my guidance and join the EML Academy or go through Strong Start. Without someone doing one of those things, I don't make money. Period.

While that is simply the nature of my business, it can make it very easy for me to obsess about what others think. To add an extra layer of anxiety to this, if people reject my writing or my speaking, they are actually rejecting me. What I write and what I say are ME, in outward communication. What I do isn't for the faint of heart. As someone who prides myself on my ability to really not give a shit about what others think, I do find myself obsessing about it when it comes to my creative work. Ugh, reality check to the face.

The fact is, we all care about what others think of us to some degree. Some of you measure what you say and do, out of fear of being disliked, or called a fool. Some of you, like myself, do your thing and then accept that some people just aren't going to like you. That's OK!

I have to remind myself of this everyday. I'm not here to write and speak my thoughts to make friends. I write and speak because it's who I am. At the soul level, I write and say what is truth to me and that's all that matters. A lot of people won't like me for it but that's ok. I'm banking on the fact that there are about 7 billion people on the planet, and enough of them will like what I say so I can make a living.

There are certainly times I struggle with this more than others. I find myself searching my brain for things to write about I think people want to hear. You know what happens when I do that? My writing sucks. It sucks because I'm not being authentic and readers can feel it. Worrying about what others want to hear actually makes them listen to me less.

This is exactly what happens in life. The more we try to be someone others want us to be, the less we are ourselves. The more time you spend worrying about what others think of you, less time you have to spend on being you. The more you try to do things because others will like you, the less they will like you because people like authentic people.

A mantra I repeat is "be someone people respect, not someone people like." This keeps me on the right track. It keeps me authentic and real. There are a lot of people who claim to not like me or what I have to say. Funny thing, how do they know what I say unless they're listening;)

Try that mantra. You will like yourself, and you're the only person who is really thinking about you anyway.