If you want to be YOUR best and perform at a high level you believe you can, the fear of other people’s opinions may be holding you back.

There is a famous saying that should be etched on walls in more prominent places for everyone to see, It goes;

“He who trims himself to suit other people will soon whittle himself away.”

It is exhausting trying to please people with their fickle whims. No matter what you do, people will always comment on it. Good or bad. Critiques or praises — it’s just what we do.

The issue is when you let the fear stop you from being your authentic self. When you dont want to express who you are, your opinions, or content online because you are afraid.

I have seen this happen countless times in work environments where a colleague didn’t suggest a great idea because they thought they would be seen as a “bag licker” (that’s a construction phrase — another way to say that is “kiss up” or “teacher’s pet”).

I have also witnessed it happen with friends and family asking me if they should post content. When I say “Go for it,” they say they don’t want to get in trouble. (From who I dont know, but there is a genuine fear).

I also speak from the first-hand experience — I have done the same thing numerous times. I have volumes of content I have created and have been afraid to put out. It’s not like its conspiracy theory or political stuff — just genuine content to help others achieve success, but I was scared.

I overthought how people would react, and in that overthinking came inaction. I have realized that you cannot control how someone will take to your content no matter what.

You could spend hours creating a masterpiece, then releasing it and hearing nothing but crickets or getting 1–2 likes. Or you can spend less than a minute and put out a barely legible phrase or cat video, and boom — it’s viral.

You never know. And you can’t control it.

A solution I created for myself was to tell myself, “POST THAT SHIT.”

I even wrote it on an index card near my computer. Its acts as a direct command. If I feel hesitant after creating a piece of content, I see the card or think to myself immediately, “Post That Shit,” and the fear is gone.

What happens after I post? I can’t control it, but I know I built a tiny bit of confidence at the moment. Attacking the fear and doubt head-on.

If you seek the praise of people through validation, it will be never-ending. If you get easily offended by criticism, you will never grow.

It is a daunting cycle, but it is best to be who you are and communicate online or in-person the same way and not worry much about what others say.

Think about this. There are over 7.5 billion people globally, and roughly 3–4 billion have access to the internet. So whatever you create will be of use to someone at some point in time.

So do yourself a favor and POST THAT SHIT.