No One Is Watching You

No One Is Watching You

Taking a leap of faith can be daunting. But what if just standing up in a crowd fills you will fear because you’re afraid of what others will think? What if you’re afraid to make a mistake for fear of being ridiculed, so you don’t even try?

The fear of criticism is a hard fear to conquer. There is always someone or something to consider, but what if I told you that no one is watching? No one is watching you, but your insecurities are telling you that they will make fun of you. So how do we conquer the fear of criticism?

Defining The Fear of Criticism

Let’s first start by defining what this fear is. When we are afraid that someone will criticize us for being willing to do or be more than they are, it stems from insecurity. These insecurities can come from many places. Maybe someone made you feel stupid for something you were excited about or something that brought you joy. Someone might have told you that your dreams were invalid because someone once told them theirs were. Either they were trying to keep you from getting hurt or they were trying to hold you back from doing something they were too afraid to do. Whatever the reason, your insecurities are not truth. They are lies that were created to hurt you and hold you back.

What is the lie?

The lie isn’t that people are watching you. The lie is that you will fail. That something bad will happen to you, that you will make a mistake, and everyone will see and know that you are a failure. The lie is that people are watching you with the intent of finding a flaw and making fun of you.

Maybe you aren’t even afraid of failure. Maybe you’re afraid that they will criticize something about you: your clothes, your hair, your body, your weight. You’re afraid that they will invalidate who you are, the choices you make, your sense of style. You’re afraid that you’ve worked hard to become the person you are, but one criticism from a stranger could shatter that to pieces.

But this isn’t the truth. This is your insecurity speaking, lying and convincing you that you have no worth beyond what people can see. Your own image of yourself is so fragile that someone else’s words could break it. But it doesn’t have to be.

What is the truth?

The truth is that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You were created with such attention to detail that your Creator knows exactly who you are, what you’re made for, and what you are capable of. He knows the nuances of the way you speak and how many hairs are on your head, even when it seems like your hair is falling out. There is nothing misplaced about you.

The truth is those people who may actually judge and criticize you based on what they see on the outside are just as insecure as you. Possibly even more. They’re just as afraid that they will be judged, so they judge you.

The truth is you might fail. We all fail. But our failures are meant for us to learn from. You may build a company from the ground up that doesn’t actually make it off of the ground, and that’s okay. Because the next company you build has a greater chance of succeeding if you don’t give up.

What do we do with these truths?

In many cases, it’s easy to tell ourselves that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Once we step outside of our house, it’s harder to remind ourselves that no one is watching us. But taking one step leads to a second step, and then the third step gets easier.

Remind Yourself

Tell yourself every day that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each morning when you wake up, remind yourself that no one’s opinion can actually stop you from accomplishing your goals and making your dreams come true.

Baby steps

No one said progress had to be done all in one day. That’s an easy way to get overwhelmed. Baby steps lead to just as much success as leaps and bounds. Make one small step each day toward your goals and you will get there.

Make a Plan

Start with your end goal. What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? What fear are you conquering or what dream are you building? Write it down and create a roadmap toward that thing. Then assign one step each day toward that goal. Eventually, you will find yourself making bigger and bigger strides toward your goal until you’re there.

Remember, no one is watching you. Everyone else is trying just as hard to make their dreams come true. Don’t let their nonexistent gaze keep you from making yours come true too.