Your character is who you are. Your reputation is who people think you are.
Stop for a moment and ask yourself this: Do you care more about what you think of yourself, or what people think of you?
I sincerely hope it isn't the latter.
For one, no one has ever stepped or walked in your shoes but you. So, really, who are they to judge?
People can perceive you as being a certain way -- whether shy, obnoxious, self-centered, lazy, or dull. But perception, as you well know, isn't always reality. Our individual experiences shape us into the people we are, and people will never know the full extent of those experiences because they weren't there. And even if they were, they didn't live through them exactly as you did.
Why care about what someone thinks about you if they may turn your back on you or leave your life at any moment?
Sure, there are people in our lives who mean a great deal to us and whose opinion we genuinely value.
But at the end of the day, your opinion of yourself holds the most weight. If you love yourself, that's all that truly matters. If you don't love something about yourself, only you have the right to push for change.
You're your single biggest ally in life. No one but you can achieve your dreams. No one but you can solve your most pressing problems. You came into this world by yourself and that's how you'll leave it.
Beyond being who we are, our character is who we are when we think no one else is looking. Unfortunately, when we do sense someone is watching, we may act in ways that are unnatural just so we can appease or look good in front of them. In such a scenario, we're more concerned with our reputation than we are our character.
Always stay true to yourself. Act with integrity. Never compromise your values just to be accepted or liked by others. It's better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you're not.
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