In 2021 I’m answering a list of weekly journal questions. Read about it here.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give a younger person?
No-one is looking at you, or thinking about you… they’re too busy worrying about who is looking or thinking about them.
In other words, there’s no need to be self-conscious. Be yourself and find the joy in life. The sooner you can do that, the sooner life will be fun, because being self-conscious is the one thing that can hold you back more than anything else.
What’s the advice you’d give?
March 6, 2021 at 1:33 am
Don’t sweat the small stuff, and when you look at it all, it is all about small stuff.
March 6, 2021 at 12:00 pm
So true! And even when it doesn’t seem to be small stuff, when you look back, you realise it was.
March 6, 2021 at 2:51 am
Very wise advice.
March 6, 2021 at 12:01 pm
Thanks, Jacqui
March 6, 2021 at 3:38 am
Mine would be “you do you.”
March 6, 2021 at 12:01 pm
That’s great phrasing, John, and so important as well.
March 6, 2021 at 11:45 am
Don’t be afraid to be afraid
March 6, 2021 at 12:02 pm
Oh, that’s a good one, GF. I haven’t heard it before.
March 6, 2021 at 11:52 am
Very good advice. It’s amazing how many people think that others are paying attention to them.
March 6, 2021 at 12:03 pm
I know! My grandmother used to say, “What makes you think you are so important that everyone cares what you are doing”. A bit blunt, but it’s true really.
March 7, 2021 at 2:52 am
I was incredibly self-conscious growing up, so I would offer the same advice! I once heard it put like this: When you wonder what people are thinking about you…they aren’t 😉
March 8, 2021 at 3:19 pm
I was self-conscious too, Jenny, and I really don’t want my Barbarians to be like that. Love your phrasing!
March 8, 2021 at 11:25 pm
Good advice.
Still I feel people have some capacity left apart from worrying about themselves: they use this capacity to look for somebody to judge. Especially women. Childless business women keep a suspicious eye on working mothers. Stay-at-home Moms have their two cents about working mothers as well. Breastfeeding moms feel superior with respect to bottle feeding mothers.
They only ones who are too busy to worry are the working moms.
So what will you be writing about for A-Z 2021?
March 9, 2021 at 9:38 am
That’s so true! Although it still comes back to worrying about themselves… I’ve always thought that people like those you describe are trying to make themselves feel better by putting others down.