The Best Business Advice: Don't Worry About What Other People Think

By Arlin Sorensen, O and Founder of the Heartland Companies which includes HTG Peer Groups

I grew up in a family where advice was flowing most of the time, whether solicited or not. My dad was always providing his perspective on life and all things happening around us. For a lot of years, I really didn’t appreciate it so much. But as I grew older and actually began to listen to what he said, it suddenly became a lot more relevant. Now that he’s gone especially, I recognize the brilliance of much of what he shared and wish he were still here as I know I have more to learn.

When I think about the best advice I ever received, it has to be this line which my dad, a successful farmer and innovator in his own right, must have said hundreds of times over the years: “Don’t worry about what other people think about you, because they probably don’t.” 

I see a lot of people worried about what other people might think. What will they think about the way I look or the clothes I wear? What will they think about the car I drive or where our office is located?  What will people think about …..?  You can fill in the blanks with your own questions. The simple truth of the matter is when we worry about that we’re really giving ourselves a whole lot of credit for gaining mindshare that I’ve discovered we really don’t have. The truth is that most others around us aren’t thinking about us at all. They’re trying to deal with the chaos and challenges in their own lives, not passing judgment or even considering what we might be doing.

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