Stephen Parato, Contributor
Waking Times

Ask yourself this question: Why do I care about what other people think?

Don’t you want to live life on your own terms? Why are you letting others dictate your decisions and how you live your life?

Not caring about what others think is the ultimate freedom.

Are you constantly thinking about what could happen in every social situation, instead of being fully in the moment? The vast majority of the time, all of the hypothetical “What if…” projections (that are on replay in your head) don’t even end up happening.

Let go and allow life to flow through you.

Everyone is too busy being concerned with themselves anyway. So why waste your energy worrying so much? This is something you need to drill into your head if you suffer from social anxiety.

Are you really delusional enough to think that everyone around you spends all of their time thinking about you?

Everyone is incomparably more concerned about themselves than they are with you.

Here’s what an interaction between two people with social anxiety looks like: You’re worrying about what they think of you and they’re worrying about what you think of them. With all of this worrying and “What if” projections, neither party fully experiences the present moment (which is all that really exists). There’s no fun in that.

In truth, it’s really ridiculous to let social anxiety control your life. Realize that you’re free to be yourself and always have been. Drop the useless, burdensome concerns about what others may think. (Because you don’t even know what they’re really thinking in the first place!)

Everyone else is immersed in their own perspective. Everyone is the star of their own movie. They’re more concerned about themselves than about you. And that, in and of itself, is freeing.

“The amateur dreads becoming who she really is because she fears that this new person will be judged by others as “different.” The tribe will declare us “weird” or “queer” or “crazy.” The tribe will reject us. Here’s the truth: the tribe doesn’t give a shit. There is no tribe. That gang or posse that we imagine is sustaining us by the bonds we share is in fact a conglomeration of individuals who are just as fucked up as we are and just as terrified. Each individual is so caught up in his own bullshit that he doesn’t have two seconds to worry about yours or mine, or to reject or diminish us because of it. When we truly understand that the tribe doesn’t give a damn, we’re free. There is no tribe, and there never was. Our lives are entirely up to us.”  ― Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro

The funny paradox of it all is that people will admire you when you’re true to yourself. Even outright hate is really self-hatred combined with jealously. But most people just secretly admire those who have freed themselves from the confines of external opinion. Because it truly is a beautiful thing.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Let go and be free.

About the Author

Stephen Parato (aka Stevie P) is a holistic health & wellness advocate, philosopher, writer, and positivity connoisseur. He is also the founder of Feelin’ Good, Feelin’ Great. Website link: http://www.feelingoodfeelingreat.com Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/FeelinGoodFeelinGreat Twitter link: http://twitter.com/SteviePThatsMe

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