We have probably all done it at some point, but there really is no point in living our life to try to elicit the good opinions of others.

Opinions are transitory and can change in an instant – even our own.

It does not serve us well at all to put too much emphasis on gaining the good opinion of others.

For their approval will most likely be based on what we can do for them or on a set of values that they hold, but which do not necessarily speak for us.

Or, worse still, on their parroting what the media or ‘thought leaders’ trot out on a daily basis to fill the space between the adverts.

And why would we want to live our lives by someone else’s values?

It is very easy for us to get caught up in people pleasing, or in not doing something beneficial for ourselves through fear of what others may think of us.

Life is there to be lived and we are imperfect beings. We will make mistakes, but they should be our mistakes, not someone else’s.

If we want to experience all that life has to offer us, we must be true to ourselves only – guided by our hearts and our authenticity.

This means that we need to work out what our values are, for how can we be true to our values before we know what they are?

This requires conscious thought, evaluation, judgement and discipline – all of which are in short supply in a world that is becoming ever more uniform and restricting.

We need to start making our own decisions and our own mistakes – it is the only way we can live our lives in an authentic and personal way.

We are so used to being told what to do, that we are in danger of only doing what others expect or hope us to do. That is not living our own authentic lives – it is living by consensus.