We all have an innate need for external validation. Acceptance, acknowledgement and approval are the benchmarks against which we often measure our self-worth.
By choosing to see ourselves through the lenses of others, we unconsciously allow others to influence the decisions we make and the way we live our lives.
We see this in this age of social media, where success is often equated with online popularity. Instead of living in the moment and enjoying each experience as it slowly unfolds, we allow spontaneity to take a backseat, too pre-occupied with the curation of Instagram-able personas and lifestyles to generate likes, comments, retweets and shares.
The life you live should be about the choices you make. You are the driver of your own car. Only you and you alone have the right to determine the direction of where you want to go, the type of car (conversation), the speed that of travel and the destination that you want to arrive at.
Make as many detours and rest stops that you want and decide on the passengers that you want to have along. That means ejecting the people and conversations that bring too much negativity, stress and drama and taking along only with those whose company you enjoy.
The only permission you need is your own, so give yourself the right to take back the power to be happy.