Don’t let what other people say or think about you control your destiny.

I worry way too much about what other people think of me. I worry about how they might respond to the things I say. I worry about what they will think of my actions. While it is good to be mindful of the things you say and do, it is not so good to allow a desire to be accepted by everyone dictate the way you operate in your day to day life. You are not in control of the way people receive you. The way they receive you also should not keep you from being yourself, and being FULLY yourself.

People respond to the stimuli in their lives according to their unique understanding of the world. Each person’s understanding of the world deepens with time and life lived. We are all on different playing fields. Some people mature in their understanding of the world at a much quicker pace than others. Some people have periods of life where that level of understanding is fast-tracked. At other times, it may be pro-longed. To each their own.

So when someone isn’t in the position to digest what you have to say or isn’t prepared to receive you in your fullness don’t be surprised. More than anything, don’t let that change the way you live your life. Don’t retreat and back track on any progress or growth you may have made in your life. Don’t revert or withhold being who you were made to be.

You are meant to live completely and fully as your truest self. Through our lifetime we tend to find ways to avoid living in our own truth. We experience rejection which causes us to pull back and keep the fullness of ourselves hidden in a ‘safe place’ deep inside ourselves in an attempt to keep from experiencing that same rejection again someday. Rejection is painful, but shouldn’t govern your life. Fight through the fear of rejection and live unapologetically as your truest self.

If you keep your truest self hidden, the world will miss out on all you have to offer. You are the only person on this entire planet that can live fully and authentically as your truest self. You are the only person that has been created as you have been, the only person gifted with the exact same gifts that have been bestowed upon you. If you do not live out your life in your truest form, the rest of the world misses out on that. You have a responsibility to be you and to be you fully. That might sound a bit dramatic, but it is entirely true.

You have been made with purpose. You have been made intentionally by your Heavenly Creator. You have been called to dive deep within yourself and show the world the beauty of God’s creation. You have been called to let the light within you shine for the world to see. Yes, the whole WORLD.

If you choose not to live fully as yourself, that is your choice. If you choose to keep your greatest gifts deep inside yourself – particularly out of a fear of rejection – you are permitted to do so. No one can force you to live the life that has been planned for you. But if you choose not to live authentically, that is a bit like receiving a present from someone and never unwrapping it. Don’t you want to find out what is inside? Don’t you want to see what you’ve been given?

Don’t be afraid of the power of living an authentic life. There will be people that won’t know how to accept you in your fullest form. There will be people that have adverse feelings toward you. Don’t let that stop you because YOU were born to shine!