Is There Accuracy In How Others View You?

People always say who cares what others say about you but what if everyone is saying the same thing? Whether it's good or bad, how much truth does it hold?

I remember when I was younger my mother told me, "You may be beautiful on the outside (now this is my mom speaking) but damn it if you're not ugly on the inside". This struck a cord with me and from that day forward I always strive to be a better person. I want to be a beautiful lady, not by looks but as someone who is always kind to others and smiling. I want to be someone who is giving and nurturing to any person they see. This is what I aspire to be.


My mom was right by what she said thought.  Back in the day I was not a very pleasant person at all. I was moody and sometimes rude to my friends. If I drank too much I could easily hurt everyone's feelings around me and not even care. I was wrong on so many levels. I remember a few close friends tried checking me about it but I disregarded them because it was hard for me to believe I could be this horrible person they were describing. Looking back, they were right and deep down inside I knew it. (This is the kicker)

Years later I'm still working on being a better person... as we all should be. I have learned everytime I try to fix one characterisitc another door pops open and a laundry list of more things come tumbling out. Whether it's judging people, talking about someone, jealousy, insecurity, and/or pride it's always something. Rather than getting overwhelmed, I have realized we are all constant work in progress. As long as we're striving to be a better person without blatantly hurting those you come in contact with- you're alright in my book!


So here's a few thoughts to ponder: What do you do when it's just one person you're close with who rattles off a list of negative characteristics about you that you don't agree with...Should you believe them? Do certain negative characteristics surface with certain people? How much truth do other people really hold when it comes to depicting the type of person you are?

... And honestly does it even matter?