We constantly receive opinions from others on what we should do or think. Most of the time people mean well, but when they give you advice, they tend to give it from their perspective. Why do we let the opinions of others affect us?
If I listened solely to the opinions of everyone else I would be living a completely different life right now . . . luckily I’m very good at ignoring people. If I had listened to others I would be going to school in California, and I suppose I would be happy. Thinking about that possible alternative life that I could have led is mind blowing. I’m so much happier here in Boston, living the life that I live, If we all became a little better at ignoring people’s advice on how to have a good life then we might have an easier time living our lives and understanding who we are. This is hard to do, especially if the advice comes from friends or family, but sometimes it’s necessary to ignore their words of wisdom.
I’m not implying that the opinions of others don’t matter. Au contraire mon cher! A lot of the time our friends and family can give us great advice. However, there is a difference between using the advice of others to give us guidance and letting the opinions of others pressure us to behave a certain way that is untrue to ourselves. Don’t worry so much about pleasing people, because if you are the best you that you can be, the people that are close to you will be happy for you.
The thoughts and advice that we receive from those around us do not change our reality unless we allow it to. Only you know what really makes you happy. For example, if you want to become a teacher but your family wants you to become a doctor, then become a teacher. It may be hard to go against their wishes now, but in the long run it will be worth it.
Check in with yourself right now and make sure that you are living your life, not someone else’s version of your life. Sometimes we know what is best, but we let others talk us out of it because we know it is difficult. Don’t lack faith in your own potential, because with perseverance things can work out.
We control how we live our lives. This is usually easier said than done, but it is up to us to know what we want to do and just go for it. We have nothing to gain from listening to the limiting opinions of others and everything to gain from ignoring people.
I know, this is an Alanis Morrissette-esque irony— I’m telling you to ignore advice, yet I’m giving you some anyway. I hope my words find you well, and that you are able to follow your own path in life.
Maria Gellepes is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at mg887@bu.edu
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
