What Would The Neighbours Think?

It’s scary to put more of you online. Go to any newsfeed and you’ll find that you’re not alone. Most folks post bland content where everything is censored to an inch of its life.

And all because of other people. – What would other people think of this?

Fact is, we worry about the wrong people. Family, friends, workmates, and anonymous people on the internet. What would they think of me when I post this? And we give these people full permission to take control of our lives.

When I was growing up, my mother was obsessed about the neighbours, ‘What would the neighbours think?’ was something I heard more than once. And when you hear that, you start closing yourself down for fear of upsetting those people we live around.

But those people as you find out later on, are worried about what others think of them too. Look at their newsfeeds and you’ll find the new car picture, but no mention of the sleepless nights they’ve spent worrying about making the car payments.

Here’s the thing, we worry about the wrong people.

The people who aren’t our audience, aren’t our customers, and wouldn’t give us a penny for anything we do. And yet, we run down to the opposing fans, listen to their ridicule and criticism and think that they’re the people we need to be paying attention to.

Crazy right, that you would give any of those people an ounce of your attention. And yet we do. We allow them to box ourselves into the same miserable life that they’re leading. Not trying. Not using their talent. Keeping small for fear of standing out. Just walk with the herd, they’re safely in numbers, all tip-toeing through life hoping they make it to death safely.

Misery loves company. And if I’m afraid of doing nothing with my life, then there’s no way I’m going to let you do anything with yours, is the mantra of the herd. Don’t show me up. Don’t draw attention to how I’m pissing my life away. Don’t make me look long and hard in the mirror and have to face that life I should be leaving.

But to us, they’re the people that we should be paying attention to. They’re right, and you’re wrong.

They’re right, and you’re wrong?

Do yourself a favour. Stop thinking about what the neighbours think. Or complete strangers on the Internet think. Because most of them aren’t thinking. Most of them are living lives of quiet desperation. And most of them will never support you in anything you do.

But…there will be people that do. People who like how you make them feel. People who will open their wallets and support you on your journey. Those are the people you should be paying attention to.

Those are the only people you should be paying attention to. – Everyone else doesn’t matter.

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