“Think about others as much as they think about you. ” Remember that awkward moment you had in high school or during a summer vacation? Well, the people that experienced that with you probably don’t remember. We overestimate how much time people spend thinking about us. And it’s time to let that go.

You do it too

How much do you think about others? Now choose the one person you think about most. How many hours a day do you think about them? Two, three, or four hours tops? Nobody thinks about someone else the full 24 hours a day. Most of your time is spent thinking about your own goals and challenges, basically your own life. And if this is true for you, it probably is also accurate for someone else.

People listen to respond

When you have a conversation it usually goes something like this: “Person A tells a personal story. Person B responds to that story with something similar they’ve been through.” Most times people listen to respond instead of actually listening. So even if you tell a personal story, the other person is still thinking about themselves. At the end of the day, we have to come to terms with the fact that we can only be the main character in our own lives. So focus on improving your story.

Be bold

Let’s say you want to dress differently or hang out with a different crowd. Don’t be discouraged by what others will think or even say. Because at the end of the day: “You got to think about others as much as they think about you.”

Image: Unsplash, by Bruno Figueiredo