OH! Magazine - Australian Version July 2016 | Page 11

(Women’s Health)

WHAT OTHERS THINK OF
YOU IS NONE OF
YOUR BUSINESS!

NARDIA
NORMAN

Nardia Norman reminds you to stop giving so much power to
the opinions of others.

T

hink about the title of this article for just a moment:
‘What others think of you is none of your business!’

Does that make sense to you?
This concept came to me when some of my coaching clients were
having a hard time making some potentially beneficial decisions.
I noticed that they had become so used to making decisions
based on what other people thought about them, that they found
it really difficult to let go of those external opinions during their
decision making process.
Has this ever rung true for you too? It certainly has for me.
As humans we are hard-wired to be part of a tribe or community.
From an evolutionary standpoint, it was critical to our survival
because to be part of a group or tribe meant being safe; if you
were ousted from the tribe then you didn’t have anyone to protect
you. Therefore, historically, it has always been in our best interest
to make sure that we are well liked by the people in our social or
immediately surrounding group.
It is also a common human trait to want to please others – to
some degree. But there can come a point in which peoplepleasing behaviour no longer serves you well. If you find you are
letting other people’s opinions stop you from doing the things you
truly want to do, or if your need to gain approval from others is
preventing you from growing or reaching your own potential, then
that behaviour has become a problem.
If you allow the opinions of others to have an influence on your
life, to the point where you are making decisions based on their
needs and not yours, then your life will always be out of your
control. And if it is out of control like that, then you need to take
action to reclaim your personal power. It’s your life and you have
control over every decision you make. Stop worrying about what
you think others think of you, and start worrying about what YOU
think of you. Have a crack, and let me know how it feels.

YOU CAN CONTACT NARDIA VIA:
Web: nardianorman.com
Facebook: nardia.norman
Twitter: @nardianorman
Instagram: @nardianorman

( OH! MAGAZINE ) JULY 2016

11