Think back to a really odd individual that you saw at a mall or at a theme park. Think about the impression that person gave you. Now think about how much that person affected your life. Think about something weird a family member did, perhaps. How did you feel about what he or she did? Probably, with whatever example you thought of, the person’s strange action did nothing to change your perception of reality. You probably forgot completely about what the person had even done until you were asked to remember something. Know why? Because it was unimportant.
Here is the secret to having confidence in your actions and in not worrying about what others think about what you're doing: Realize no one cares. Everyone you know has probably done really embarrassing things around you, and your perception of them wasn't altered very much. Strangers do crazy things all the time, and you don’t care at all. There's no reason for you to assume that other people will judge you any more harshly than you do them.
Now, in the moment, I'm sure that you had a few thoughts about what you had observed. That you thought that person was super weird. That you judged their behavior pretty hardcore. But then what? You moved on. Probably never thought about it again. And other people will be the same way about you. They'll think what you're doing is weird. And then they will never care about it after that. So be weird with confidence.
Honestly, the worst you'll be is a funny story to another person. You'll be the, “You won’t guess what I saw at the grocery store this afternoon!” or, “I can’t believe what this person was doing when I was at the theater last night!” They won't care about you as a person, or even remember you as an individual. They will remember the story they can tell to make others laugh, to make themselves look good. You will be a story, not a person to them. And why not let them have that?
When you're worried about doing something odd because of what others may think, just think about how you would respond to someone else doing the same thing. You will stare, judge, laugh to yourself and then immediately forget. You'll be just the same in their minds. As self-conscious as you might be, everyone else is, too. And they will be too worried about what others think of them to think about you. You will be a momentary amusement, a quick distraction, a story.
So be confident with your weird instincts. Go live your live to the fullest. Be the person you want to be, and don’t worry about what other people are thinking. Remember that they don’t judge you any harsher than you judge them. Let them laugh at the story, at the memory of what you did. Life can be really mundane. Have fun being weird, and let others have fun watching.
