One big reason women - and sometimes men - give their power away is by being concerned about what other people think.

How many times do you make a decision or not make a decision, take an action or not take an action, or make a statement or not based on your fear of what other people might think. Think about this for a moment. “How many times do I do what I do, say what I say, be who I am, or not, because of what I think people will think?”

Are you ever overly concerned about what other people think about you?

There was a spiritual leader some years ago, Baba Muktananda, who spoke about the same thing in a different way. Baba said, “Craving the good opinion of others is one of the biggest ways we rob ourselves of happiness.”

It is also one of the ways we give our power away. If you are afraid of what others think about you, your criteria for being and doing in the world will be to get the good opinion of others, rather than listening to and being guided by your own truth.

When you make something that you really have no control over - like what other people think of you - the criteria for who you are and what you do in the world, you will act in ways and do things that are inauthentic and not in your best interest. That is a pretty big cost.

Each time you do this, you strengthen the disempowering habit of looking for answers outside of yourself which you can only find inside. You train yourself to devalue yourself and your own truth. And you give more of your God-given power away.

The truth is that you can never really control what other people really think about you, no matter what you do. But when you are true to yourself, and your own inner guidance, your life will transform in ways you’ve not even been able to imagine.

You will be blessed with your own good opinion of yourself. And you will be more authentically available to make a difference in the world.

A key to your own confidence and power is to make what you think about you more important than what anyone else thinks about you. At the end of the day, it is what you think about you, NOT what you think other people think about you that makes the real difference.

Step Into Your Greatness!
Make what you think about you more important than what anybody else thinks about you!

Author's Bio: 

Reggie Odom CPCC, PCC, founder of Inspired Works, is a professional coach, intuitive consultant, hand analyst, spiritual teacher and speaker. She is also on the faculty of the National Institute of Whole Health where she teaches a coaching series. Reggie is considered a master teacher and unforgettable speaker. She inspires and empowers spiritually oriented women entrepreneurs to step into their greatness, where playing small is no longer an option. She can be contacted at reggie@reggieodom.com.