Has the fear of rejection held you back? (I know it has for me) Have you ever been so fearful of what others might think or say about you that it kept you from taking positive action? (It happens) I bet you’re shaking your head, “yes.” It’s time to change your mindset…and trust me, I'm taking my own advice here. After recently being told that I "take too much stock into caring what others think" (even though I disagreed with their comment) I began to think & evaluate. I don't need validation from others in order to feel great about myself or my life. Although it does feel good to get positive feedback from others. I'm guilty of it I'll admit. But today while pondering I came to some very positive realizations. For example: 1) Today, the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Prove yourself to yourself, not others. (Truth be told.. 90% of people don't really care.. They're just nosey) You are GOOD enough, SMART enough, FINE enough, and STRONG enough. Yes, there will always be someone prettier than you, smarter, more talented, abs etc but only you can be the best you! You don’t need other people to validate you; you are already valuable. 2) If someone says “no” to you, or if someone says something negative about you, that doesn’t change anything about YOU. The words and opinions of others have no real bearing on your worth. (Some people are just mean..) Certainly it can be helpful and desirable to make a good impression in certain situations, yet it’s not the end of the world when you are faced with rejection. 3) It’s great to receive positive feedback, but it simply doesn’t always happen (like a said, some people are mean..) That’s OK though, because you know where you’re headed and you know your true worth does not depend on the judgment of others. When you set out to make a true difference in life, there will be those who disagree with you, those who ignore you, and those who flat out reject your ideas and efforts. Look beyond them, step confidently forward, do what must be done, and let them think what they will. In the end, the only thing that matters is you done what you did to make YOU happy!