Project: Self Love - What Other's Think Of Me

Am I the only one who types something clever or funny or helpful in reply to a post and then deletes it in crippling fear that it might be taken the wrong way, or that person may think I’m stupid? I do all the time, which is another reason I have decided to take an extended hiatus from facebook and most of my friends. And I think I stumbled across something important here. I care too damn much about what people think about me. I spend so much time worrying about how other people perceive me I have no time to think about how I might be perceiving myself. I spend so much of my energy attempting to be someone everyone will, at the very least, not hate. In the mean time I have kind of lost who I really am, and lost my voice. So obviously this could be a seriously step in my goal of learning to love myself. How can I ever expect anyone to love me for who I am if I don’t love myself or even know myself really. Part of this discovery needs to start with the extent to which I care how people see me.
I mean, this is a serious issue for me. I constantly worry about saying something and being laughed at or being called stupid. I never want to appear stupid to people and it seems like it happens all too often,
So how do I stop caring what others think of me? I mean, I know it’s important to care to a degree. I don’t want to do something that hurts people, or offends people, but past that, how do I stop giving a shit?
After asking that question I took a short break to google it, because the internet is my mom, and according to the vastness that is google I am incredibly self centered.
So basically I have to realize that nobody gives a damn like I do. I am my harshest critic and most people don’t think about me nearly as much as I do. Knowing this, I think I can chillax a bit when it comes to how I think other people see me. I always think in the worst case scenario and the fact of the matter is, people probably aren’t thinking of me at all. Even if I do something super embarrassing, people aren't going to pick up on it to the extent that I do. Everyone views the world through their own ego, therefor only things that matter to them they see.
Even if they do think negatively about me, the fact of the matter is that not everyone is going to be happy with me. I can’t please everyone and that is just a fact of life. I shouldn't want to please everyone either. What is everyone doing for me?
I think the cure for this is good old fashion “stepping outside of my comfort zone”. I need to try new things, or at the very least try for something. I need to stop hiding behind my insecurities. I am using my anxiety as a crutch, an excuse to not try at all.
At the end of the day you need to care about people, not what they think of you. If you genuinely care for people, they will like you. And if not, that is their business, not yours. This needs to be my new mantra. So this is my new goal. To live each and everyday by stretching my limits. Inch my inch, and soon I’ll be somewhere new and exciting.