Mind Reading & Other Casual Things

Do you ever look at strangers & know what they’re thinking? ⁣ ⁣ My guess is: you think you do.⁣ ⁣ Ya see, that’s the thing about all of this insecurity - a lot of it is just made up. We think they think we’re _____, ______ and _______. But did that person on the sidewalk actually say that? Or did we just assume it? ⁣ ⁣ How does that old phrase go? “Assuming makes 🍑es out of you & me.”⁣ ⁣ We get to narrate the thoughts of others as they pass us on the street, see us in the hallway or sit in the next booth at dinner. ⁣ ⁣ Their thoughts over our appearance.⁣ Our food choices.⁣ Our outfits.⁣ Our relationships.⁣ Our jobs.⁣ Our success. ⁣ ....⁣ The list is literally infinite. ⁣ And the negativity is too...that is IF we let it be. ⁣ ⁣ Today I was walking through the biggest shopping street in Stuttgart. It was 95 degrees out and I chose a quick, easy romper this morning to sit through class in. By this time, I’d thrown my hair on top of my head & my tinted moisturizer was fighting for its life to stay present on my very dewy (sweaty) face. ⁣ ⁣ I saw people of every different color, size, race, religion in the short 30 minutes I browsed (really bouncing from one air-conditioned store to the next.) And ya know what? ⁣ They all “said” the exact same thing.⁣ ⁣ “She should not be wearing that today. Yikes, what is living on top of her head. Oh look! Another overweight American girl in a romper.”⁣ ⁣ Add about 52 other ridiculous things to that list & you would probably nail the conversations we had.⁣ ⁣ But they never even said a word. ⁣ Only I did. Every conversation I thought I had this afternoon was a monologue of negativity and insecurity inside my own head. ⁣ ⁣ I assumed that’s what they were thinking, so that’s how I told myself I should feel. ⁣ ⁣ Y’all - maybe if just maybe we assumed better of those around us, took back our “mirror” and imaged everyone spoke of us like Chrissy Teigen does about fried chicken- then we’d finally be able to walk confidently through this world. ⁣ ⁣ And besides - ya know their selfish butts were worried about themselves anyways 😂💗 Ain’t nobody thinkin’ bout us. ⁣ ⁣ (But 2008 Nick Jonas is still definitely thinking about you. 😋💗)⁣