That Eleanor was a Smart Lady!

I read an interesting quote yesterday by Eleanor Roosevelt. The quote was:



“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”


This quote has a lot of meaning packed into just a few words. I’ve been thinking really hard about it for two days and here’s what I’ve got.


I like it a lot, because I think it’s a good message to people who are so concerned about image and appearance that maybe they should be more worried about content. If you’re content (kindness, thoughtfulness, usefulness, willingness to help, etc) is valuable then you can move on to the packaging. If your content sucks then maybe this quote is a good mantra. I don’t spend a heck of a lot of time on people who haven’t touched me in a positive way or had value to me. Do you? I might fuss about a situation in the immediate moment, but beyond that it’s just not worth my time to think about people who have lacked meaningful content.


I like it even more because for me it has more meaning than just the “hey, don’t be so vain” side. For me it’s made me reflect on how much I DO think about other people, and in a really good way. It’s a lot! Many who know me say that my brain never turns off. That I over think things. A lot. And you know maybe that’s true. I’ve certainly spent a good portion of yesterday and today thinking about this quote. In this case I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I enjoy thinking about the people who I care about and love. I enjoy remembering good times with people who have had a positive impact on my life. That’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, I’d say it supports the first thoughts on the sentence.

If I’m thinking about you, and I might be, it’s because your content was valued and loved.