I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Think about what you think. Think about the results and what is the right thing to do. I’ve often not cared what others have thought about me. That’s not to say I don’t get nervous before I make a presentation. It’s just that’s not at the front of my mind. I absolute care about what people think about me thought. Especially when I first meet them, I care. Which is why I so often am quiet. I’m trying to blend in like a chameleon. Once I have a gauge on the person or group I will open myself up. This is a scar from my past. From getting picked on in school from fifth grade and on.

I’ve learned to deal with it and see an advantage in remaning quiet while I gauge the interests and agendas of a group or person. At another level I have let go of how people think about me, because I can’t control those thoughts. My wife often gets on me about this. It often comes out when i am comfortable around people. A lot of people think I’m loud. At work I’m considered loud at the highest levels of the company. To me that’s okay because I’m getting visibility up there and have some influence. It’s also okay because that’s who I am. It’s what makes me special in the presentations I make at work and in my own personal groups. Changing that would be changing the core of my personality.