One of the most difficult realisations you'll have to have in this lifetime

One of the most difficult realisations you'll have to have in this lifetime is that every single person has a different version of you in their head. Some people think that you're kind, some people think that you're selfish. Some people just misunderstand your intentions. As hard as that may be to accept, none of those versions are actually you. People see you through their own experiences, their own insecurities, their past. And I used to spend so much time trying to control how other people viewed me, making sure that everybody understood me and that I wasn't stepping on toes. It's a game you're never gonna win, because no matter how clearly you communicate your intentions, people will always view you and perceive you through their own lens. And that's so hard to accept. But people don't see you as you are when they look at you. They see a reflection of their own inner state through the lens of their beliefs, their fears, their experiences, their past. I think a lot of anxiety comes from us trying to fix those versions. We replay conversations in our head, making sure we said the right things and we weren't misunderstood. But that's us trying to control something that was never in our control in the first place. The only thing that you actually have control over is whether or not you're acting in alignment with your values. If you are, then you can let other people's opinions exist without letting them define you. Your job isn't to manage everyone else's perceptions. It's to stay connected. To who you are. Because at the end of the day, it's your life. You're the only one that has to live it. Not the hundreds of other versions of you that exist in other people's heads. And honestly, once you come to this realisation, it's a very freeing feeling. Your perception of you is the only one that matters.