THEIR OPINION VS YOUR HAPPINESS

Too often in life we switch from trying to make ourselves happy to trying to please others and satisfying their opinion of us. Sometimes it’s our parents, employers, religious leaders or the "Jone's". It doesn't matter if you are keeping up with the Jone's, or you are trying to impress strangers. When your aim is to satisfy the opinion of others you will often miss hitting the target of your happiness. So many of us focus so much on what others think of us, that we end up spending our time trying to satisfy someone else's opinion of us. In turn we end up learning to be satisfied with something less than happy in order to receive the praises, accolades, thumbs up, or perceived approval from someone.

What pleases someone changes from moment to moment. What pleased them last week, doesn't please them this week. What pleased them yesterday, doesn't please them today, and what pleased just a moment ago doesn't please them now. If the mind of the individual is so fickle, then it is even more difficult to please them than ourselves. Sometimes it’s even difficult to please ourselves, and we know ourselves best. Think how much more challenging it is to do the investigative, guessing and analytical work to find out what pleases someone else. Someone else's opinion, perspective, and/or thought is a moving target. When you are chasing that target you have no time to aim for your happiness. You are less likely to hit the target if you aren't aiming for it. Aim for your happiness, and improve your chases of being happy.

You were born to pursue your happiness, experience joy, smile, face challenges, difficulties, and overcome obstacles on the way to your goal that will build your character. Your emotions weren't built to dodge in and out of the traffic of insults, put downs, criticisms and let downs in order to please the opinion waiting on the other side of the road. Although your emotions can sustain such punishment that's not their purpose.

Do yourself a favor and give yourself the freedom you have been longing for. Detach yourself from having to please so many people's opinion. People will talk about you now, later, to your face, behind your back, in a text, in a verbal conversation, to your friends, with your enemy, when you are alive, and certainly when you're dead. You can’t stop people from talking.

Aim for your happiness, and you're more likely to hit it. There are people that you have to or end up pleasing in life for valid reasons. However you should not let what others think of you rule your world. Don't be so disappointed that everyone or most people aren't satisfied with your decisions. You can never please everybody, even if you are making peace and spreading love.

If seeing you happy pursuing and achieving your goal based on integrity, self -improvement, and raising the quality of your life doesn't bring joy to them then they aren't really concerned about your happiness. They are more concerned about making what they want happen….and this may not include your happiness.

Stand tall, be brave and aim for your happiness, even when it doesn’t come with the approval and welcoming opinions of everyone you would like to please.