Approval Seeking Behavior is Time Consuming (and I’m not getting any younger)

OK, I confess I love this about blogging and the WordPress community. In the past, I don’t know that I would have found much upon which to agree with a transwoman, but Denise from Deni in a Dress and I have this in common:

I’m not willing to spend time trying to get other folk’s approval.

• Constantly seeking approval from others takes me down a path where I stop caring about myself.  I stop caring about my own physical, mental and spiritual health because there is no time left for me.
• Constantly seeking approval from others is not a good investment of time.  The payoff is notoriously poor.  I’ve spent an entire lifetime working to get somebody else to approve of me.  And I have zero to show for all that time.
• Constantly seeking approval from others misses the grand opportunities of life.  I don’t dare take the time away from other people who aren’t going to give me their approval no matter what to take advantage of positive career moves, traveling through this wonderful world, even the book I’ve always wanted to read.
• Constantly seeking approval from others feeds on itself in unexpected, perverse ways of spending time.  Addiction robs even more time as it sucks the life out of life itself.

These are all reasons why living a life of constantly seeking approval needs to stop.  I’ve seen dogs who could catch their own tail, not often but I’ve seen it happen.  I’ve never seen a dog who could hold on to it.” via Approval Seeking Behavior is Time Consuming (and I’m not getting any younger) « Deni In A Dress.

Yesterday I posted this gem and it helped me navigate my day: “Before seeking external validation, ask yourself, “What do I hope that person tells me?” Then tell it to yourself.” Cut out the middleman! And thanks, Denise — I’m following your blog in Google Reader now…