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I’ve had this page taped up on the wall for several years..and in my car, above the bed, on the refrigerator…lots of places…a continuing reminder for me to not worry about, or limit myself by, what I perceive others might be thinking about me…
One of the biggest problems with worrying about what others might be thinking
is that it often leads to limiting oneself and even develops into a sense of unhappiness…
unhappiness
…unnecessary unhappiness…
which often leads to stalling out in life…
and not using the wonderful variety of potential
each one of us has…
we’re all different…
we all have our own strengths and challenges…
we all have our own “callings”….
and we don’t know what reactions are in others’ minds anyways…
so to learn
to let go of that concern
because it leads to nothing positive,
nothing helpful…
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Instead….
to shift into the positives…
coming back again and again to the positives
recognizing and resting
in one’s own positive motivations and actions….
Those positives
will “imprint” through repetition…
just like the stamped imprints
on that metal background….
and coming back to my own perceptions
will also lead to positive imprints
….repetition leads to imprints….
so to be sure to choose and focus on the positives
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We are so remarkably fortunate
to have the wisdom, insights, and opportunities
to use our strengths and potentials
in positive ways
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My own point of view seems to be…
time really is too precious to waste…
life really is far too precious to squander…
there’s so much that still can be offered…
so many potential opportunities await…
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And so to go forward…
each and every day of our lives…
…or at least in my own life….
living as much and as often as possible
through one’s own positive motivations,
one’s own positive intentions
and one’s own positive actions…
….there simply isn’t time to waste…
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I tend to think in “images” and have a bit more challenge with putting words to my ideas…I’m learning, but still progressing with that…there was a wonderful post in another blog yesterday…by Elise…in her wonderful blog, Elise on Life…the post is “Be willing to go naked”…(copied and pasted below)… one that expands on and puts “words, sentences and paragraphs” to these ideas…and so I include her ideas here, with her permission…”Be willing to go naked”…that’s part of what I was talking about…brrr…kind of chilly like that…but so much potential when we are “willing to reveal our inner nature”….and to do that, I need to not concern myself with what I think others might be thinking…and to spend time in communities of people…like the people who arrive here…people who are developing in similar directions….so, thank you Elise for your insightful words and ideas…
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And here’s a link to great strategy from Nicole Cody’s blog, Cauldrons and Cupcakes…“Writing Yourself a Brighter Future”… a really inspiring idea that supports living through positive intention, motivation and actions….a really creative idea for supporting growth and confidence…
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And I just found an awesome website called Tagxedo…you type in your own words and it creates an image…choose from dozens of colors, shapes, fonts….wow!!!…I just found it on Suzicate’s site…Floating The image is “animated,” but not sure if I uploaded it right…wow, a new toy!!!! 😀 veryyyy cool…..wow!…talk about possibilities and opportunities!!!!
Pocket Perspectives 
I love how threads for other bloggers, woven together like this, create this amazing web of strength and support. Bloggers rock!
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Isn’t it remarkable how the various posts, ideas, inspirations of so many bloggers all weave together ?!?!?! ….so much support and strength…I learn so much from others…wow!…And Joss…I just created/added an image and link to a site to this post..at the bottom…an amazing site that I found on suzicate’s site…called tagzedo…it’s amazing…creating word collages with words you choose….wow!…talk about incredible opportunities!!!!!….(and now to figure out how to keep the animation in it!!!)
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will go have a look.
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Love how yours turned out! It was so much fun to play with, like you said endless possibilities!
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Ohhhh…it’s so much fun….thank you for bringing it to people’s attention…and what amazing choices there are within that site…wow!!!!…endless possibilities… can you figure out how to save the animations/moving words when the cursor is over a word…and get it into the blog with animation ? Can you believe the wonderful tools that are out there in the tech world???…I’m so thankful to have access to them!..and now even to have more time to play with them…. 😀 (I just finally learned/remembered how to make a happy face emoticon, too!)
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I love the way you presented the message to live life without worrying about what others think of us and to live from a place where we express our positive virtues. And the cloud thing rocks! I have no idea how to use it yet, but will be playing with this new toy, thanks to you. 🙂
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I can’t believe that I still have such concerns…but getting less so…maybe growing up in a very small town in the 50’s….oh well, time to get over it…I’m learning to shift into that awareness of positive motivation and to let it go at that…practice, practice…. And isn’t tagxedo remarkable!?!?!…I’ve made several more pages for P and J….and Starbuck, the kitty..fun!
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Since reaching mid-life, I hear myself say more & more “I am not apologizing for who I am, how I talk, or how I look”. In our youth we learn to strive to please many people and listen to their opinions. So, if we’re not careful in adulthood we will continue this pattern instead of having self-confidence. Thanks for the “like” and visit! And, congratulations on your retirement…
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Thanks! Lots of unexplored possibilities ahead…. 😀
I’m also noticing far less of the overly “self conscious” dynamic as I “get along in years…”…it’s a wonderful relief to let it go!!! (as much as I can) I really had to learn new ways to let go of those patterns… soooooooooo important to do!
And, Jonri, I always enjoy your blog! 😀
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Really well written post, Kathy. I have finally found the “Off” button for those nagging, negative thoughts. The day I found it, I was surprised how simple it was to use!! I just started catching myself in the middle of this mental nonsense and would (mentally) say, “Janet, STOP.” And the chatter or worry or negative thought stopped. I was amazed! So, I figured that if it worked, I was going to keep right on using it, until that “stamped imprint” engraves itself on the “metal background”… with the positive thoughts and intentions and ideas I put in their place. Thank you so much for sharing this post with us, and your “toys”! A lot of us will have fun with them, I’m sure!!!
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Hi Janet…. I do have an “off” button…but once in awhile the current is so strong that even flipping the switch off doesn’t seem to work… you must have a better switch??…off to Home Depot with me… 😀 That’s amazing that one day you found it and it’s been effective! Isn’t that mental chatter a bother??…the gnome with the DGT sign (don’t go there) is still a big helper for me… ; ) And tagxedo is fun…kind of amazing, actually!
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Whatever works to make life better is okay with me! 🙂 That includes ghomes, which I have an affinity for….
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Kathy, I always instill positiveness in my students, to tell them that they all have something special, some talent. Yet, I suffer too from agonizing about what others think of me 😦 Good post, good thoughts–thanks–I needed this!
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Ohhhh…I understand…I was able to instill so much confidence in kids…maybe knowing how fragile we all can be helped inspire you to do that… that awareness can lead to wonderful empathy.
But…I figure I’ve been this way for far too long…I’m seeing that time is so precious, avoidable unhappiness is a waste of that precious time…and I just want to get over it…poof…out of my life…I’m positively impatient with being that way any longer…too limiting, not valid anyways, too much suffering from it…and on and on….But smoothing the imprints takes time…so steady, steady, working away at it. I’ve read this linked “card” dozens and probably 100’s of times… https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/i-just-dont-have-time-to-worry-about/ And this… a variation https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/just-dont-have-time/ (see, I have been plugging away at this! : ) ) I hope some of these ideas help…. ps…here’s another one about hypothetical thinking…I call it “the magical mystery tour”= my own thinking https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/amagical-mystery-tour-hypothetical-thinking/
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Awesome post and links but yours spoke to me best…. I don’t have time to worry about what others think… Just what I needed to be reminded of as I go through my own changes…. Glad to finally make it to the letter P – Phew! 🙂
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These reminders to myself are actually working…wow! I hope they support others in keeping that perspective in mind… I’m really realizing that time IS far too precious to worry about things out of my control…. And welcome to the letter P….funny, my last name begins with “B”…I’m not used to being in the P part of the alphabet… 😀
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Pingback: “Seeking approval”… letting it go, resting in positive motivation | Pocket Perspectives
I think it’s an absolutely wonderful post… it is exactly what I was trying to say in mine: http://tracielouisephotography.net/2012/07/02/being-truly-authentic/
I wish all the very best with this endeavour… as you say… Life is way too short to waste your energy on not being who you really are. Good luck to you 🙂
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thanks…. it’s such an important topic… so many people have so much potential that can be offered to the world….so to learn to let go of the concerns and move into being…as you write…”truly authentic”
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I like your method of pushing the positivity within your postings and generating a feeling of happiness for all that passes by here, which is rather unique as I have only encountered about three or four alternative Spaces on this network that do this 🙂 You know I never bother what anyone thinks about me or my work and believe me there are a lot of people that either do not like my appearance or indeed the horror scripts that I write, but that is not my concern. Prejudice and ridiculous forms of discrimination are rife in some quarters but we must never worry about what others may assume or presuppose as that is something of their own making and adds absurdity and countless limitations to their journey through life.
In essence they are the losers as they are not willing to embrace others that are different and that is their downfall. Sorry for my lengthy approach to commenting but i think that your positivity far outweighs any negative thoughts that may cross your path and to be optimistic and self assured is always the best way forwards. Have a lovely afternoon my friend and keep posting these delightful and encouraging blogs as I feel sure that everyone enjoys them…
Androgoth
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Thanks for your encouragement and ideas….as I wrote in your comment on the Reflections blog…I hope you’ll start a blog to expand upon your really positive and encouraging ideas….I think people would really appreciate reading them!
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