How To Stay Focused Even Though People Around You Aren’t
What sucks about living your life is not everyone is living it for you. At least, I hope not. So honestly, in my experience, I’ve had so many people put down my ideas and disregard what I have to say because they believe that what they have to say is more important. Or, they just don’t care. They don’t want to listen. They’ve got other things to think about or say. You know what? That sucks.
On the other hand, you will have people that genuinely care about you but you will notice that there are way fewer people who support and want you to succeed than people who really just don’t care. I actually started writing this post in high school, but once you go through a year of college, you start to realize that you are the only person in control of your life. If you don’t have your eyes on a single prize, life is going to be a whole lot tougher. You have to set attainable goals for yourself or you aren’t going to go anywhere. It literally doesn’t matter if your friends care about you or not because if you aren’t taking care of yourself, then no one is. At that point, you’re basically just a lost little puppy looking for someone to nurture you. NO. Look after yourself, if you’ve got a heartbeat, you’ve got a purpose.
It shouldn’t matter what people are doing around you. Some of your friends or family might be alcoholics, they might smoke weed, they might do questionable things but they’re in control of their own life. You are in control of yours. While it may be true that you start to act and become like the people you surround yourself with, you still have the choice to not be like them. You can either choose to not hang out with them or limit the time you spend with them. In my high school and college experience, I’m not going to lie, I have friends that vape, friends that smoke weed and drink alcohol. You have the choice to take part in those activities, my friends have never forced anything on me. They’re okay with me not doing any of that. It doesn’t change our friendship,(if it does, you absolutely should not be friends with them.) Usually peer pressure comes from insecurity in yourself. Usually it’s because you aren’t comfortable in yourself so you feel the need to be like everyone else. You feel like picking up the bottle because you’re uncomfortable with standing out. You don’t want people to think you aren’t fun. Figure out your worth. That’s also why I’m not judgemental towards people that smoke or drink because they are just insecure people. They’re not bad people. They just don’t have control of their life or their decisions. You can’t change them, they have to make that decision for themselves. It’s a hard lesson that even I’m still trying to learn. You can’t change people. You are only in control of your decisions and your life.
While so many people might not like what you’re doing, that doesn’t mean you to have to stop doing it. If it’s making you happy and not harming anyone else, what’s the issue? I feel like a lot of people get discouraged by people who don’t have faith in them. I, personally have a lot of support from so many different people in my life but I know that there’s people out there that don’t have that. I also know that there’s a lot of people that hope that I fail and don’t want anything to do with me. Neither the good or the bad people matter because what matters most is if you’re are happy with what you’re doing.
I remember one night, I was having a really hard time with things going on in my life and I went searching the internet to find somebody that would pump me up on Youtube. I came across a motivational video with Steve Harvey. I obviously clicked on it because I loved Steve Harvey when he was the host on Family Feud. Steve actually lived on the streets when he was young and would shower using wash rags and did comedian shows at night. When he started his career, he had no one. It only took one person to believe in him before he took off. That’s the point I’m trying to get at here. It only takes one person to believe in you. So, stop trying to prove yourself to everyone, appreciate who you are and the real genuine people out there will recognize you. Just do your thing, that’s all. The link to that video is right here if you’d like to give it a watch. Totally worth it!
I’m not going to say it’s not lonely trying to figure out who you are and trying to make friends that aren’t going to stab you in the back. Personally, I’m not even completely sure if I’ve figured that out for myself yet. Writing this right now, I live three states over from my family, live in an apartment by myself, work two jobs and have to figure out ways to pay for college next year. Plus, if you would’ve talked to me about two weeks ago, I would’ve been so upset with what life was doing to me. I was learning some hard lessons. I was living in a hotel for two weeks and the the day before I had to move out I got stranded on the highway because my car broke down. I tried to take it in to discount tires and had to have it towed back to my apartment. I don’t like to ask for help but I was forced to ask my friends to help me move. I was hoping that I’d have roommates in my new place because I lived in the hotel for two weeks with nobody around. I got to my new place and even a few weeks after moving in, I still had nobody. On top of all of that, I’m in a long distance relationship. Now, I’ve moved on from all that, I’m living the best life that I can right now. I’m not sharing this for you to have pity on me, I just want you to know that you have to accept what’s going on in your life right now before you can move on to whatever is next for you. Life doesn’t stop moving.
I grew up reciting the quote “Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how you react to it.” Sometimes I forget about this! Once again, you are only in control of your life and what you’re doing. You could mope around and feel sorry for yourself or you could get back up and keep going. No one really cares about what’s going on your life so focus on what’s important and try your best not to let other people’s opinions of you, get you down. We’Re oN a fLoAtInG RoCk iN tHe MiDdLe oF sPaCe.
