There’s this age-old question of what would you do if you didn’t care what others thought. No matter how easy this complex sounds, it isn’t an easy task to even imagine. Let alone, do. It’s like where does one even begin? What do you mean if I didn’t care what others thought of me? We’re given guidelines for the way we’re supposed to be our whole lives. Hence, we care about so many things that don’t matter. The option to live liberated of others thoughts seems intriguing. Yet, it’s a practice many of us only hope to master.
Here are 5 exercises to get you on the path to not caring about things that do not matter.
- Have a Truth Conversation with Someone You Can Truly Confide In.
- Before I post a blog, I let my one best friend read it. She usually tells me what I should elaborate more on. She’ll even tell me if she thinks it’s stupid or irrelevant and how I can make it better. Having truth conversations with her is all I need to not care about how my blog performs. Folks, posting anxiety is real. What if no one likes? What if it’s perceived wrong? Etc. Having truth conversations with my best friend gas me up enough to believe in what I have written and just go for it no matter the outcome.
- Name and Claim the Things You’d Like To Do Without Caring
- I used to keep a lot of my ideas for doing things all tucked away in my head. The neverending thoughts of things I’d like to do eventually made themselves on my Pinterest board, screenshotted in my phone, tweeted or noted in my iPhone. People tend to think these things have to be big, but they don’t. One of mine was to workout without caring so much what I look like. I’m slowly training myself to have fun working out and that I’m doing it for my health. I used to spend hours in the gym, go get on the scale and be mad at myself for the number. Ha!
- Seek Some Encouragement
- On the days when I am feeling weighed down with doubt. I seek encouragement from my husband, my family, my mom. I often ask them to tell me about myself or what to do in different situations. Often times, we wait to hear encouragement from others. Better yet, we seek validation from people we don’t even know. Having the people you love refuel your tank is a sure way to be encouraged. If you care what anyone thinks, it should be them.
- Laugh At Yourself
- A lot of mornings getting dressed for high school, I’d come tumbling down the stairs wearing my 4-inch heels and sporting my hefty backpack of 5 textbooks. When I’d land at the bottom, I’d laugh and get up and go on to school like nothing happened. If I recall, I might’ve fallen again at school too. Of course, the fear of other’s laughter went through my head, but I learned to laugh with the chorus. It made it all easier to bear.
- Try something you fear.
- Overcoming fear is only done by doing the thing you fear the most. Check out Will Smith’s take on overcoming fear!
Learning how to not care about things that don’t matter is a continuous practice. Words, thoughts, and opinions shape our lives. It’s not about not caring at all. It’s about giving the care where it is respected and reciprocated. Keep practicing and share your advice and stories in the comments.
Awesome tips!