How to Stop Letting Other People’s Opinions Run Your Life

(and Other Truths You Need to Hear)

Let’s get one thing straight… caring what people think is exhausting! It’s the emotional equivalent of carrying a backpack full of rocks everywhere you go. You could put it down. But you don’t, because a part of you thinks those rocks are keeping you safe.

But they’re not. They're holding you back, slowing you down and exhausting you.

First: You’re Not Crazy… You’re Actually Wired This Way

If you care what other people think, congratulations, you have a functioning brain. Seriously. This isn’t a flaw. It’s biology.

Your brain is built to keep you safe. Thousands of years ago, being cast out by the tribe meant literal death. So your nervous system learned: fit in = survive. Fast-forward to today, and that ancient wiring is still there, except now “the tribe” looks like Instagram followers, colleagues, school mums, or your Aunt Carol who has lots of opinions.

So no, you're not crazy. You're just carrying some crappy, outdated survival software.

But let me tell you this:

- You’re allowed to evolve beyond it.
- You get to choose truth over fear.
- And you get to stop handing your self-worth over to people who wouldn’t last ten minutes in your shoes.

Here's the truth.. you will always be “too much” for someone who isn’t even enough for themselves.

The sooner you stop trying to make yourself smaller to avoid judgement, the sooner you step into your actual life.

Second: They’re Not Thinking About You As Much As You Think They Are

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone’s watching what you’re doing. Like every little thing you say, wear or post is being analysed under a microscope.

But the truth is, most people are just trying to get through the day.

They’re thinking about what to have for tea, whether they remembered to send that email, or why their phone battery’s suddenly on 2%. They're not sitting there keeping a mental log of your every move.

That awkward comment you’ve been replaying for three days? They’ve already forgotten it.
That photo you almost didn’t post because you worried it was “too much”? Most people just scrolled right past.

And if someone is judging you or having a quiet moan about your choices, that usually says a lot more about them than it does about you. People who feel secure in themselves don’t spend time picking others apart.

So instead of worrying what everyone might be thinking, ask yourself:

What do I think? What do I want?

Because your opinion of your life matters most.

So let them think. You’ve got better things to do.

Third: People’s Opinions Are Not Your Responsibility

Let me put it like this: you could be the ripest, juiciest, most gorgeous peach in the fruit bowl and someone will still turn their nose up and say, “Ugh, I don’t like peaches.”

What are you meant to do, turn yourself into a plain old banana just to keep everyone happy?

Absolutely not!

You weren’t put on this earth to dilute yourself so no one gets uncomfortable. You’re not here to be palatable. You’re here to be real, to be YOU!

Please know this… Every time you say yes just to avoid rocking the boat, you’re quietly saying no to yourself. That’s not being kind. That’s not being polite. That’s abandoning who you are to please people who probably aren’t even paying attention.

I say this to my clients all the time:
If your life was a film, would you want to be the lead… or the character in the background, constantly editing herself to keep everyone else relaxed?

Spoiler alert: you are not a background character in your own life.

You’ve got a voice. A story. A presence.

Write your own script and make it bloody brilliant.