I was thinking about…

I Am Retiring…

By Andy Lee

I’m retiring! That’s right, you read it correctly – but not from my career. I’m retiring from giving a f**k about what others think of me. I’ve reached the point where I genuinely don’t care anymore about outside opinions or judgments aimed my way. It’s time to hang up that part of myself for good. Let me explain what led me to this radically unbothered mindset.

With each passing year beyond 50, I’ve noticed an unexpected yet profoundly freeing evolution take place within. Call it the gentle ascent of wisdom over insecurity’s fading echoes. A transition where the older I get, the less I find myself unnecessarily tying self-worth to other people’s perceptions and opinions about me.

It’s a realization that frankly eluded me through early adulthood’s formative chapters. Back then, emotional investment centered on ensuring I struck the right impressions on every acquaintance and social interaction. An exhausting preoccupation with managing my personal brand saturated my mental bandwidth daily.

But now solidly on the back-nine of life? Those burdens progressively dissolve into refreshing lightness. I’ve grown comfortable adopting George Carlin’s old philosophy: “I don’t know, and neither do either of us.” Because as it turns out, the ultimate superpower involves realizing most viewpoints reduce to mere perspectives – yours, mine and the bystanders’. None objectively crowning truth.

The process of outgrowing other’s opinions hasn’t always been a linear progression, mind you. I can vividly recall those angsty 20-something years wasting mental bandwidth fretting over every perceived slight or unflattering comment from peers. A simple roll of the eyes or dismissive snicker from somebody held debilitating power to derail entire days trapped in self-doubt spirals.

Even trickier minefield? Navigating stretches when the harshest criticism rained down from loved ones – parents, romantic partners or closest friends whose barbs somehow stung worse despite awareness they radiated from places of caring. Being chastised by those namesake voices felt like receiving character indictments from society’s loudest echochambers.

Gradually however, I learned healthy detachment techniques. Sitting with discomfort over passing judgements rather than compulsively scratching reactivity itches allowed me to rationally assess core dynamics. More often than not, the most brutal takedowns revealed more about unhealed personal insecurities plaguing the chastiser than accurate portrayals of my essence.

Does reaching that self-assured mindset mean you’ll never feel a tinge when harsh judgments come your way? Of course not – we’re all human, and unfair critiques can still sting initially. But with wisdom and age, you gain the liberation of recognizing those external potshots as ultimately insignificant noise. No need to grant them any more mental rent than a momentary acknowledgment.

Ultimately, the journey involves shifting from seeking permission for your identity to extending compassion to those rudely denying your holistic depth. Easily said yet immensely liberating once embraced – granting yourself that unstinting acceptance naturally outshines diminishing external echoes.

Simply put – I’m too busy these days savoring my own authentic self to get caught up devoting energy towards every passing opinion about me, positive or negative. My self-worth derives from intrinsic sources, not echoes reverberating from others’ perceptions. It’s incredibly freeing to reach that point of self-assured contentment where others’ opinions have little bearing on your sense of value and identity.

Stay unsubscribed from critique, keep your vibe undisturbed! 😎✌️