The World's Perception - Devin Dean

 

When your mentality changes, the world around you changes with it.  In my opinion, there are three ways to live your life.

The first way is to live while being trapped.  You obsess over how other people perceive you.  You act a certain way, you dress a certain way, you hang out with certain people, but you aren't doing these things because you want to, you feel obligated to or you feel you have to because that is what "normal" is.

The second way is to live on a leash.  You still care what people think of you, but your whole identity and self worth does not depend solely on the opinions of others.  You begin to make decisions for yourself, and do things you truly want to do, but nothing so far outside of the box.  You may feel some regret about the decisions you make because they aren't exactly "normal", but you eventually move on from this regret, and continue to live your life, constantly testing the limits of what you are capable of,

The third way is to live completely free.  The unspoken rules of society no longer hold you back from being your true self.  What others think of you no longer influences you in any way.  If people dislike you, it doesn't matter.  If they judge you for how you act, and for what you wear, it doesn't matter.  You make the choices that make you the happiest, without fear of judgement or exile.  Regret disappears, and you break through the limits that used to constrain you.  The concept of "normal" disintegrates, and it becomes obvious to you that everyone has their own "normal", and no two are the same.  You stop judging others, and accept everyone for who they are, and you open your mind and consider possibilities that you wouldn't have previously looked twice at.

To some people, these may sound childish and irrational, but I have lived through all three mentalities.  Once you create a positive open mindset, almost anything seems possible and within your reach.  Mindsets change constantly, but being able to stay positive is the most important.  If you can do that, you will eventually develop an outlook where you can find your true self, and live without anything holding you back.  People in this world will always judge each other, so let them.  Let them judge you, but don't let it phase you.