Hey there. I used to spend so much time worrying about what other people thought of me. Every choice I made felt like it had to pass through the filter of someone else’s approval. But what I’ve realized is that when people disapprove of your life, it usually says a lot more about them than it does about you. Sometimes their disapproval has nothing to do with your choices at all. It may be that they don’t like their own life.
We all carry insecurities. If someone is unhappy with where they are, it can feel easier for them to judge than to take responsibility for themselves. When they see you making choices that move you forward, it can shine a light on the fact that they aren’t doing the same. That reflection can be uncomfortable, so instead of facing it, they turn it into criticism.
I’ve learned that the approval I really need is my own. At the end of the day, I’m the one living my life, not them. I’m the one working on my fitness, my mindset, and my growth from the inside/out. If I’m showing up for myself and making choices that align with who I want to be, then someone else’s opinion doesn’t carry the same weight anymore.
This shift has been huge in my own journey. For years I thought weight loss or changing my body would finally earn me approval. What I’ve found instead is that when I build a healthy relationship with myself, I stop needing that external validation. The more I trust my own choices, the less it matters if someone else disagrees.
That doesn’t mean criticism doesn’t sting. It does. But now I pause and ask myself, “Is their disapproval actually about me, or is it about them?” More often than not, it’s about them. And when I see it that way, I can let go of the weight of their judgment. I can keep moving forward without letting someone else’s unhappiness derail me.
So if you’re stuck in the cycle of worrying about what others think, I want to remind you of this. Their disapproval doesn’t define your worth. You’ve always been enough, and you always will be. What matters most is whether you’re living in alignment with who you want to become. That’s where your peace and confidence are found.
If you’re ready to build that confidence from the inside/out, I invite you to join one of The YLF Experience. Together we’ll focus on mindset, fitness, and habits that put you back in control of your own story.