I can’t remember the day I decided not to care about the opinions of others, but I’m pretty sure it was the same day I realized there’s no pleasing them. It doesn’t matter how much you do or how you do it, or if you decide not to do anything at all, there’s simply no way people will approve of you 100%.

I decided that if pleasing adults, measuring up to their way of doing things (although many times they are wrong), fitting into their groups, and falling in alignment with their rules was impossible, I would look to children.

Finding Inspiration in Children

Children have such an openness about them. They would befriend the most dangerous of animals, think the best of even the grumpiest person in the world, and accept anyone regardless of their color, race, creed, or background. I believe children are perfect examples of what we should all strive to be.

With that in mind, it’s ironic that we have all been children at some point in our lives yet we forget the innocence, purity, and love that we all had, which allowed us to embrace people and love them exactly for who they were. Why do we lose that growing up?

The Effects of Growing Up

There are so many factors that lead to the kind of people we become as adults. Our personalities, values, and beliefs are shaped by our experiences and our environment, the kind of people we grow up around, the kind of people we befriend, and the choices we make, among other things.

This leads us to create molds in our heads of what people should be. Quite frankly, the molds we have for others are minute specks of dust in a galaxy of innumerable possibilities.

People do not have to fit into them and can’t fit into them because they are born with innate abilities, boundless potential, and capabilities.  If we would let go of our opinions of others and our small-mindedness, we could help people soar. I’ve found that if you allow me to be me, and I allow you to be you, we can truly make the world a better place.

Conclusion

There are countless examples of people who have overcome hurdles and defied the odds against them. Off the top of my head, I can mention Malala, the Pakistani activist who survived an attempt on her life. Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant scientific minds the world has ever seen, lived with ALS. And Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist who made history despite not having access to higher education for being a girl.

So, here’s my conclusion for today—let’s ditch the limitations we put on others and ourselves. Instead, we should tap more into our inner children, the children we once were, and believe in the value of others and ourselves. If we can accept ourselves, warts and all, we’re more likely to understand others and embrace them as they are.