
Most people live their lives from a place of pleasing other people. The response and reactions of other people becomes the essence of their own evaluation and judgment of themselves. Right now, I challenge you to explore another context with me. It will likely feel awkward, and you may feel some confusion, fear and resistance. Set all of that aside and consider this…….
What if it didn’t matter to you what other people thought concerning your life, your business, your children, your family, your beliefs, your lifestyle, your income, your kindness, your responses, your personality, your education, your success, your failure, your past, your hairstyle, your spouse, your goals, your friends, your church, your activities, your politics, your religion, your interests, your dreams, your pursuits, your appearance, your weight, your happiness, your retirement account, your financial responsibility, your vacation choice, your house, your car, your nutrition, your health care choices, your business plans, your employees, your reading and entertainment choices …………………………….need I continue?
The reality is that you alone are the owner of your life. You are accountable and responsible for your own choices, and your results. I personally am only concerned about God’s evaluation concerning my life and choices. Other than His judgment, it is no one else’s business.
So, what if you lived your life from a place of full ownership and personal integrity? What if other people’s opinions of you didn’t matter? How would your life change? What would you do differently? What would you say no to and stop doing? What would you go for and try? What would you start saying to yourself and others, and what would you stop saying? How might that affect your sense of peace and happiness? How about your effectiveness and results? How about your integrity and sense of wholeness?
That little voice in your head might protest that such thinking and living is selfish. I would challenge that voice and tell it that such living and thinking will liberate you from the chains of trying to please others and trying to live up to what they want so that you can freely and joyfully live a life of service. When you are free of the fear of another person, you can truly serve them, not from a place of sheer duty and obligation, but from a place of choice and love.
If you are a business owner and care deeply for your team, but don't really care about their evaluation of you, you are free to fully serve them. If you are a parent that cares deeply for your child and are also emotionally free from your child’s evaluation of you, you are free to love unconditionally and will likely have great influence in that child’s life.
My message is simple. Choose to joyfully serve others, and cease striving to please them. Care deeply for people, and care not for their opinions of you and your performance. The result is you will experience real contentment, satisfaction, and purpose and be an extraordinary leader.
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