What Will People Say? This phrase is a giant block for our growth and freedom.

This phrase is a giant block for our growth and freedom. When we get consumed by what impressions we leave on people, we forget to live for ourselves. 

We avoid connecting to one of the most vital questions, what do I want to say.

Our world revolves around our relatives, colleagues, and friends. Their feedback is important to us, as we wish to live an inclusive life in our society. Any negative feedback triggers our primal fear of rejection. This validation-seeking phenomenon and trying to please others has made us into mini pressure cookers.  We are steaming away, desiring approval, admiration, and acceptance. 

Humans are social animals, and each one is born unique. We started living in tribes to be inclusive and supportive of each other, so no one felt lonely. But in the world today, we have taken this to a whole different level. Instead of supporting each other, we are living in fear of being left out, mocked, and hurt. To protect ourselves from isolation, we are fighting to prove our competence to others. 

We are on a permanent 'Fight or Flight mode.' This term was for hunter's instinct in olden times when confronted by an animal. The hunter would either fight or flee. Unfortunately, it has become a way of modern living because we feel permanently threatened and under



attack by others. If we do not defend ourselves, we think we will get eaten up. We are constantly strategizing how to keep our defence guard by protecting ourselves from "what will people say"?

Let us flip the coin and see what happens when we start focusing on what I want to say that makes me happy? 

In the beginning, it all sounds strange and selfish. That is how we have been trained. Prioritize others' needs over your own. However, even airlines recommend using the oxygen mask first on yourself before helping others. So why can't we fly high on our life journey by prioritizing wearing our oxygen masks before providing for others? 

We are all born unique and are meant to shine in our uniqueness. This uniqueness makes us stand out. Isn't that our purpose of living; to explore and express ourselves? When we do that, we do not need others to approve, acknowledge and give us attention. 

However, we are fearful to stand out because it requires confidence, clarity, and courage. We need to take responsibility for our voice and actions. It indeed appears a daunting task, so we conveniently try to mingle with others and follow their rules. We focus on others and desperately desire them to treat us special and help us stand out. 

Instead of trying to prove to others, we need to work on how to improve ourselves. Once we commit to being faithful friends to ourselves, there will be no need to worry about, "What will people say!"