What others think of us is none of our business

This morning I learned that someone from my childhood in another country has died. It is sad above all else for his family and friends, of whom I believe he had many. It is also sad for those who were his fans, who enjoyed the music he produced. Oh yes, did I forget to mention, he was a superstar in a particular music genre.

This man had been a major figure in my reality when I was growing up. His music played on a daily basis, both on radio and on my older siblings’ stereos. In my neighbourhood, county, province and country everyone knew his name. This morning, I knew that as I read of his death it was almost certain that no-one in the building where I work would know his name.

We all live in our own realities, carrying history which is known only to ourselves. Why then do we worry about what other’s think of us. I sometimes encounter people who are stymied from making a career decision because of their concern about what others will think of them. What right has anyone to judge us, when they do not know our total history? Surely, whether others choose to judge us should not matter as it is most unlikely they are in a position to make an informed decision.

So, lets live our lives because that is what they are: “our lives”.