Leaders,
FOPO – the acronym that represents a very real struggle for many. One that has the potential to ruin your life, all exaggeration aside.
So what is FOPO anyway?
Fear Of People’s Opinions
Basically, fearing the opinions and reactions of others to the degree it impedes or limits your ability to feel free to be you – authentic, different, even quirky and weird (gasp) – holding you back from designing the life you crave based on your passions, values, and personality.
So, how do we actively build a strong personal brand without becoming mentally enslaved by dominating opinions that keep us small and homogeneous?
How do you balance the desire to grow a high-valued and well known reputation without over-thinking about people’s perceptions of you to the point it negatively controls you?
Keeping FOPO in check requires a strong ability to check-in with yourself continually. Paying close attention to what motives or fears are subtly driving you and influencing your decisions and behavior, to mindfully decide whether you want to give power to these pressures.
Are these the thoughts you want guiding, filtering, and defining who you are in the world?
Whose voice are you hearing – your own or the noise of the critics and the in-crowd?
This week’s selected article offers some ways to get in control of what may be silently controlling you.
To help you disconnect from a life-by-consensus to choosing carefully whose opinion will have permission to lead you. To recalibrate a healthy desire for perceptions and feedback that build strong self-awareness and heightens your ability to effectively serve those around you – not to stay on the safe side of opinions.
Saying goodbye to the FOPO leash means you can redeploy those energies into getting to know your true self better and using your unique life to serve and impact others for good.
The surest way to banish FOPO is to replace it with FOBA – the Fear of Being Afraid. Fear itself is often the enemy of our greatest dreams and hopes not coming to fruition. Living a life of being afraid to live your life is the worst choice of all.
Let’s step out, as this year comes to a close, to commit to banishing fears that shrink us and stretch past our comfortable fences. You may just find the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Coach Faith
How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You
“If you start paying less and less attention to what makes you you — your talents, beliefs, and values — and start conforming to what others may or may not think, you’ll harm your potential. You’ll start playing it safe because you’re afraid of what will happen on the other side of the critique. You’ll fear being ridiculed or rejected. When challenged, you’ll surrender your viewpoint. You won’t raise your hand when you can’t control the outcome. You won’t go for that promotion because you won’t think you’re qualified.”
https://hbr.org/2019/05/how-to-stop-worrying-about-what-other-people-think-of-you
Have a wonderful weekend!
Secret Weapon Leader Team
