I wish I had known.............

baggins11

I am another potty dog woman here. I look after peoples dogs for a living and they accept me as I am. I am 100% happier than when I worked with people. 

I am afraid I still care what people think too much and allow the toxic minority to affect how I feel. Something I am consciously trying to work on and is coming with age.

balabooberlies

Hello Baggins (we have met before on other threads)

I had a friend that used to say..........'What you think of me is none of my business'.  And she meant it !

If the person being unkind was not friend or family, for her, it was water off a ducks back.  I am getting there.

baggins11

I remember bala. I hope tiggy is doing well. I sometimes lurk on 5 pleasures and love hearing about your animal adventures!

Dottles1

I wish I'd known years ago that I am ok just as I am and don't need to change to be how others want me to be.  It has been a revelation that has changed my life.

helensbiggestfan

balabooberlies said:

Yes, Jamanda

It has taken me my whole life to realise that I am an Extrovert/Introvert (or something like that).  I appear confident on the outside but really I am a quivering wreck inside.  Being able to say to myself that it doesn't matter what people think has allowed me to relax for the first time.  I am feeling really grateful for this period of my life.  I love getting older.  Except for the creaking bones etc.

Well done on the 'potty old dog woman'.  Am sure that's how I'm seen but I have added crows and foxes to my menagerie.....................I just don't 'walk' them' !  

I wanted this thread to be about reflection.  And it is............

bala

This is a great thread you have started.  It's lovely to read everyone's thoughts and I agree it is good to reflect back sometimes, if only to realise how far we have come. 

I love the way so many of us have come to realise that we don't have to force themselves to conform to someone else's idea of who and what they think we should be, that is ok to just be true to ourselves and that it doesn't really matter what others think.  Let them think.  The ones who know us and love us are the ones whose opinion matters and, if they love us enough, then they accept us anyway, warts and all. 

 Well that's my take. 😁 

I don't know if I'm right but I think the people who are critical and judgemental probably have "issues" in their own lives that make them harsh, miserable and unhappy.  They are probably more to be pitied than feared.  

On a lighter less philosophical note .....when I look back at photos of my teens  and early 20s I realise that I was far more attractive than I gave myself credit for.  Who am I kidding, I was a Babe, 😂.

 But at the time I was convinced I was plain and ugly......lol.  

Dottles1

hExactly Helensbiggestfan, we need to appreciate how good we look NOW !!  I always thought I was fat but I'd give my eye teeth to be that fat now

balabooberlies

LL.........you say what I am feeling but find difficult to articulate.

To all those that look back at photos and would love to be that 'fat' again..........know  sometimes I want to shed a tear for that young girl that looks back at me.  She really didn't know how to be content.

If I can, I would like to veer my young nieces away from being over self critical.  A daunting task in this day of social media.  I want to encourage their love of animals and nature because let's face it..........who thinks about how they look when they're riding a horse or up to their knees in mud/sand/etc.

Baggins, lovely to see you again.

bala